Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan “personally recognised” Remembrance Sunday by laying a wreath in Los Angeles.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex honoured those who had died fighting for their country at a personal event on Sunday (08.11.20), where they placed flowers on the graves of two commonwealth soldiers and also left a wreath, with a personal message, at the cemetery’s obelisk.
A spokesman for the couple said: “It was important to the Duke and Duchess to be able to personally recognise Remembrance in their own way, to pay tribute to those who have served and to those who gave their lives. The couple laid flowers that the duchess picked from their garden at the gravesites of two commonwealth soldiers, one who had served in the Royal Australian Air Force and one from the Royal Canadian Artillery. The duke signed a message with the wreath saying: ‘To all of those who have served, and are serving. Thank you.'”
Prince Harry – who wore his service medals and a red poppy on his lapel – was reportedly refused his request by Buckingham Palace for someone to lay a wreath on the Cenotaph in his name, a tradition carried out by his father Prince Charles this year whilst Queen Elizabeth watched from a nearby balcony.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry previously spoke about the importance of wearing a poppy.
He said recently: “I wear it for the soldiers I knew, as well as those I didn’t. The soldiers who were by my side in Afghanistan, those who had their lives changed forever, and those that didn’t come home. I wear it to celebrate the bravery and determination of all our veterans, and their loved ones, especially those in our Invictus family. These are the people and moments I remember when I salute, when I stand at attention and when I lay a wreath at the Cenotaph.”
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan currently live in Los Angeles after stepping down as senior royals earlier this year.