On the latest episode of Palace Confidential, Diary Editor Richard Eden and Royal Editor Rebecca English debate the rights and wrongs of Prince Harry‘s absence from the national Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.
Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and is one of only two living royals to have seen combat, instead marked the day among locals in the Northamptonshire market town of Brackley, wearing his military medals and a poppy.
A professional photographer also appears to have been present, with pictures of the Prince standing among the crowd published by media outlets within hours of the service.
Eden told host Luke Blackall he couldn’t say whether the photographer’s presence was coincidental, but that the day summed up exactly what he has long feared: the rise of an ‘alternative royal family‘.
The Diary Editor said: ‘This illustrates all the fears I’ve expressed repeatedly on this programme about this alternative royal family.
On the latest Palace Confidential, Diary Editor Richard Eden and Royal Editor Rebecca English debate the rights and wrongs of Harry’s absence from the national Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph
Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and is one of only two living royals to have seen combat, instead marked the day among locals in the Northamptonshire town of Brackley
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This week, our experts discuss why they think Harry and Meghan are attending events that actively undermine the royal family, and what this provocation could mean. Will there be an ‘alternative royal family’?
‘People have said to me: ‘Why shouldn’t Harry be attending the Cenotaph?’ He’s one of only two members of the Royal Family to have seen active service. The other is Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who’s even less desired to be there.
‘People are saying: ‘Why should he have to go to his local one? He should be invited to the main one.’
‘I think it’s awkward. When they were living in California, it was fine. You could say, well, they’re overseas. But now they’re here and they’re courting headlines.
‘They’re trying to do events and I think it actively undermines the Royal Family, and I think that’s a big problem.
‘The fact that these photographs have appeared and Harry turned up seems to be a provocation, and it’s a genuine problem for the Royal Family.’
At the Cenotaph on Sunday, the King laid the first wreath and was joined by Prince William, while Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales watched from the balcony. A record nine former prime ministers were also in attendance.
The Duchess of Sussex did not join her husband at the Brackley service.
Royal Editor Rebecca English said she had long predicted that Harry would not be at the Cenotaph, despite his return to Britain in August.
‘I told you at the time that it wouldn’t happen,’ English said.
‘He was photographed, so it wasn’t kept quiet, and he did go around and shake hands with people afterwards.
‘But by the standards he’s used to, it was fairly low key.’
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