Britain’s Prince Harry and royals mark Remembrance Day separately

• Prince Harry attended a separate Remembrance Sunday event in Brackley, while King Charles III led the main ceremony at the Cenotaph in London.
• Charles laid a wreath of poppies with Prince William and other senior royals, as Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine watched from the Foreign Ministry balcony.
• The split events show Harry remains outside working royal life, though he and Meghan still support public causes and will visit Brussels next week on social media risks.

LONDON - Prince Harry attended a Remembrance Sunday event in a small English town, far away from Britain’s main ceremony to honour the country’s war dead led by his father, King Charles III.

Ceremonies are held at war memorials across Britain on the Nov 9 closest to Armistice Day, Nov 11, which marks the peace agreement that ended World War I.

The Sun and the Daily Mail tabloids posted photographs online of former British Army captain Harry, in a dark suit with military medals chatting to locals at an event in Brackley, Northamptonshire, north of London.

Harry, 42, who is King Charles’ younger son, returned from the United States in August to live in Britain with his wife, Meghan, and their two young children.

He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and also set up the Invictus Games for wounded veterans.

His father led the official ceremony at the Cenotaph in central London, laying a wreath of poppies – the symbol of remembrance – at the base of the imposing white Portland stone memorial.

Charles, 77, in military uniform as commander-in-chief of Britain’s armed forces, was accompanied by his elder son and heir, Prince William, 44, as well as other senior members of the royal family.

Queen Camilla, 79, and William’s wife, Princess Catherine, 44, watched proceedings from a balcony of the nearby foreign ministry.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham was joined by all his living predecessors in Downing Street, as well as senior political figures.

Commemorations to honour the country’s war dead began on the evening of Nov 7, with a traditional concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, also attended by the royal family.

Harry and Meghan are no longer considered working royals after their acrimonious split and move to the United States in 2020, from where they publicly criticised the family.

Since their return, they are believed to have set up home in the picturesque Cotswolds region of southern England, according to the British media.

They have carried out a number of public engagements for causes they support, and next week are due in Brussels to warn about the dangers of social media to young people. AFP