Katie Nicholls also discusses why it would’ve been a ‘hard’ and ‘pretty stomach-clenching moment’ for Prince Harry
Prince Harry is to blame for missing commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day because he’s the one who burnt bridges with his family, a royal expert claims.
King Charles, Prince William and Queen Camilla all joined crowds to mark the day the world remembers fallen heroes and veterans of World War II on Thursday, but there was one person noticeably missing – Prince Harry.
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Prince Harry is the only member of Royal Family to have fought on the front line twiceCredit: AFP
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Prince William attended the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-DayCredit: Getty
Katie Nicholl told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show how it would’ve been a “hard” and “pretty stomach-clenching moment” for him to watch the two days of commemorations and know he wasn’t a part of it.
Speaking to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson, the royal commentator explains that Harry’s fought in Afghanistan and is the only member of Royal Family to have fought on the front line twice, so on another parallel universe, he would’ve been there.
“Every time we cover the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, if there’s anyone that’s earned the right to be there and to lay a wreath, it’s Prince Harry because he fought for his Queen and his country in Afghanistan twice,” she says.
“And I can only imagine, and we was talking about how happy is out in Montecito and I believe he is, he’ll be watching those D-Day commemorations.
“He was a soldier for a big part of his life as we know through the Invictus community and I think it’s a pretty stomach-clenching moment for him where it’s that realisation that despite what he did, he wasn’t a part of this because he’s not a part of the working class Royal Family.”
It’s a pretty stomach-clenching moment for him where it’s that realisation that despite what he did, he wasn’t a part of this because he’s not a part of the working class Royal Family
Matt goes on to note how the reality of Prince Harry being absent for the D-Day commemorations is simply the repercussions of him burning bridges with the royal family, to which Nicholls agrees.
“They are, they are,” she says.
“Currently, we don’t know whether he did anything in Montecito, but if he did, he didn’t do anything publicly.
“And you’ll remember that one Remembrance Sunday when him and Meghan were photographed laying a wreath and that backfired on them so badly.
“So I think they’ve learned from things like that so it must’ve been a hard moment for him to watch these two days of commemorations in Normandy and in Britain and know that just like being a solider, he wasn’t a part of it.”
Prince William meets Zelensky as he stands in for King on world stage to pay tribute to D-Day heroes
Matt goes on to point out how Prince William made a surprise stop in Arromanches to meet veterans on the D-Day 80th anniversary.
The royal was visiting the D-Day museum, which wasn’t meant to be an event for the press of public, when several veterans of the Gloucestershire Regiment in the Army saw him go in and were keen to meet him, to which he happily obliged.
Wills tells heroes Kate ‘would love to be here’
By Matt Wilkinson & Jane Matthews
PRINCE William offered an update on Princess Kate’s health as he chatted warmly to veterans after today’s D-Day commemorations.
The Heir joined his father, Queen Camilla and other leaders alongside war heroes in a moving anniversary event in Portsmouth.
King Charles and William both took to the stage to pay tribute to the veterans and their families.
Afterwards, William revealed Kate was feeling “better”, adding: “She would’ve loved to be here today.”
In a sweet clip that showed Prince William bending down to chat with a 95-year-old veteran he was asked: “I was going to ask you is your wife getting any better?”
William revealed she was well, before adding: “I was reminding everyone her grandmother used to work at Bletchley Park.
“She had a lot in common with some of the ladies here who never spoke about anything until the very end.”
William spoke to a Bletchley Park codebreaker about Princess Kate’s grandma Valerie, who also helped to break the Enigma code.
He said: “My wife’s grandmother did the same sort of thing as you. Catherine only found out at the end of her life.”
The Prince spoke to other veterans, too – thanking them for their service and telling them how special it had been.
He said: “I found it very moving, all the stories and letters, even now 80 years later.”
When one hero said “thank you”, the Prince of Wales replied: “No, we are here to thank you.”
William said: “We are here to say a big thank you and to all your colleagues and friends who didn’t make it back.”
“I love that spontaneity about the Prince of Wales and I think we’ve both been on tours and visits when he’ll make a detour,” Nicholls explains.
“He’ll spot someone in the crowd or he’ll see a post and he’ll be drawn to it – and he’s not afraid to go off-piste when it comes to his schedule some times.”
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the courageous D-Day heroes who ran into the “fury of battle” on Normandy beaches.
He laid a wreath and honoured 14,000 Canadians who stormed Juno Beach 80 years ago today.
Meanwhile, King Charles also made a powerful and emotional D-Day speech as he praised D-Day veterans at the UK’s commemoration event in Ver-sur-Mer, France, saying we “must stand together to oppose tyranny.
He added: “It is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember them and all who served at that critical time.”
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King Charles III laying wreath during the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative eventCredit: Getty
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King Charles also made a powerful and emotional D-Day speech to commemorate the 80th anniversaryCredit: Getty
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Prince Harry would’ve found it ‘hard’ to watch the two days of commemorations and not be a part of itCredit: Getty Images – Getty