Принц Гарри исключен из церемонии памяти в Вестминстере из-за отказа от королевских обязанностей

Prince Harry’s exclusion from the Remembrance Service since he quit life as a working royal continues to cut him deep. Having spent a decade in the British Army, including serving two tours of Afghanistan, the Duke of Sussex feels keenly that he should be at the Cenotaph to pay his respects alongside other key UK officials. His father, the King, leads the annual service in Whitehall as head of the Armed Forces, where he is joined by senior members of the Royal Family, Government ministers, military leaders, and veterans, to pay tribute to the fallen. While Harry has a personal connection from his years of service, attendance at the event is limited to working royals. Just as he knows not to expect an invitation to Trooping the Colour in the summer, his exclusion from the National Service of Remembrance is because attendance is exclusively for senior working royals - something Harry chose to step away from. Former Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter explains: “That is a national event. It is for working royals to lead the country. He is not a working royal. And therefore, that is not an option, and he can forget about that.” Harry and his wife, Meghan, and two children, Archie and Lilibet, returned to the UK at the end of last month ahead of the new school year. They are believed to be living in the Cotswolds, and Palace sources have stressed that despite their relocation, there will be no change to their position as non-working royals. When they decided to quit royal life in 2020, it was agreed with the late Queen Elizabeth II that there could be no ‘half in, half out’ role in the Royal Family. As a result, the Sussexes moved to the US and opted to pursue commercial interests. Part of the deal also saw Harry stripped of his military posts, including his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines. Despite this, Harry was still shocked and saddened when his request for a wreath to be laid on his behalf at the Cenotaph months later was refused. His grandmother refused because such a tribute was reserved for senior royals only. This is why the King is not wavering in his view that, despite his military service and continued commitment to veteran communities, Harry does not have a role to play at the Cenotaph. It will be a blow to Harry, but it won’t be unexpected. He knows that things are different now, and though he remains fifth in the line of succession, he is not a working member of the Firm. The Duke could have opted to join the 10,000 veterans on parade on Remembrance Sunday, but he’s already missed the deadline, and such a move would be hard to ensure his safety. As a result, Harry will spend the day privately with his family, though he will stop to mark the two minutes of silence at 11am. He remains hopeful that one day he will be able to pay his respects in person, but nothing short of a miracle will see him stand beside his family at the Cenotaph in the coming years.