“Once served always serving, no matter what,” Prince Harry said on a podcast recently released to mark Remembrance Sunday. “Even when we can’t all be together, we always remember together.”
Barely a week after sending a legal warning to a tabloid that claimed he had been neglecting the British armed forces, Harry gave an interview to the Declassified podcast, one of several members of the armed forces who spoke about what Remembrance Sunday means to him. However he won’t be at the Cenotaph for the service on Sunday, where members of the royal family will lay wreaths and observe the two minutes of silence.
Harry is usually one of the most high profile royals during Remembrance Week attending the Fields of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, which was attended this year by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Speaking to Declassified Harry said, “I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the most incredible veterans over the years, the banter with Chelsea pensioners to the veterans in the field remembrance, all the D-Day vets, they all hold a really special place in my heart. And with any of these guys it’s like meeting mates. We may not have served together, but we stand together with a shared understanding.”
Friends of the prince say this is likely to be one occasion when Harry will be homesick for Britain, and in the podcast he described Remembrance Sunday as an important day for him.
“Remembrance Day for me is a moment for respect and for hope. Respect for those who came before us and hope for a safer world. The act of remembering, of remembrance, is a profound act of honour. It’s how we preserve the legacies of entire generations and show our gratitude for the sacrifices they made in order for us to be able to live the lives we live today.”
Harry will be wearing a poppy to mark the occasion, and said of the tradition, “I wear the Poppy to recognise all those who have served; 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.”
Harry served two tours of the front line in Afghanistan, and later formed the Invictus Games to honor those who have fought for their country. “When I get asked about this period of my life I draw from memories, I draw from what I remember and who I remember,” he said when asked about his service. “Like the first time we were shot at and who I was with, the first casualties we saw, and those we saved. And the first medivac we escorted out of contact in a race against time. One served always serving, no matter what.”
Despite being in Los Angeles the prince was said to be determined to do something public to mark Remembrance Sunday. A source close to the royal said that Harry has been hurt by the recent suggestions he has turned his back on the military community. “The idea that Harry has just forgotten his friends in the Army and neglected the Armed Forces couldn’t be further from the truth,” a source told Vanity Fair, adding that the Queen’s decision to strip Harry of his military titles when he and Meghan left the Royal Family is still something that pains him today.
In the podcast Harry speaks about his pride of being able to wear his military uniform: “Being able to wear my uniform, being able to stand up in service of one’s country, these are amongst the greatest honors there are in life. To me, the uniform is a symbol of something much bigger, it’s symbolic of our commitment to protecting our country, as well as protecting our values. These values are put in action through service, and service is what happens in the quiet and in the chaos. It’s what happens in the darkness, it’s what happens when people aren’t looking. It’s what happens on and off the battlefield. It’s about carrying out our duty as soldiers. For me as a father, a husband and as a human being, it’s about how we uphold these values in every aspect of our lives.”
The Declassified podcast was established to tell the stories of veterans and their families. The special Remembrance episode also features 20 veterans and community members, including Royal Navy Petty Officer and poet Ben Taylor, explorer and former officer Levison Wood and military historian Dr. Emily Mayhew. Listen to the full podcast here.
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