Prince Harry leaves ‘secret’ tribute to late grandfather Prince Philip

Harry asked a friend to leave the note and wreath

The Duke of Sussex paid a poignant tribute to his grandfather Prince Philip, the late duke of Edinburgh, in a personal letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Harry asked a friend to discreetly leave the note and a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial in Staffordshire on Friday, following the national commemorations attended by the King and Queen, GB News revealed.

The letter was placed after Charles and Camilla left to avoid distracting from the service, which honoured the sacrifice of Second World War heroes who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East. VJ Day on August 15 marks the anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, ending the six-year-long conflict.

Harry, who was thousands of miles away in California, wrote: “For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning. My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign.

“He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theatre of war. Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave.”

The late duke, who died aged 99 in 2021, was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri. The King, who previously spoke publicly about his father’s wartime role on the 75th anniversary in 2020, made no mention of Philip in his audio address to the nation on Friday morning marking 80 years on from VJ Day.

But he did pay tribute to his mentor and great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who oversaw the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command.

Harry’s letter, which was addressed to the “Forgotten Army”, said: “On this 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we pause to remember the day the guns finally fell silent across the world, the true end of the Second World War. We also pause to recognise you, the men and women of the ‘Forgotten Army,’ whose courage and endurance in the Far East campaign were anything but forgettable.

“You faced an enemy determined to the last, fought in unforgiving terrain, and endured months, even years, far from home, in conditions most could scarcely imagine. Your service in the jungles and mountains of Burma and beyond was marked by grit, unity, and sacrifice.

“It is because of that sacrifice that generations since, myself included, have been able to live in freedom. From the lessons of that bitter struggle came the understanding that even the fiercest of foes can, in time, become valued partners in peace.

“Today, as both our nations mark this anniversary, we acknowledge the respect earned, the lives lost and the enduring friendship that has since taken root.”

After his words about Philip, Harry added: “I am humbled by your example, proud of your service and dedication, and profoundly grateful for what you endured. Your story is part of our shared heritage, and it must never be forgotten. With the deepest respect, thank you.”

The letter, featuring the duke’s cypher of a H under a crown was signed “Harry”, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. In 2020, the year of Megxit, former soldier Harry was left saddened when he was refused his wish to have a poppy wreath placed at the Cenotaph, the focus of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday service, on his behalf.

Just months later, the duke, who undertook two tours to Afghanistan, was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II after his decision to step down as a senior working royal was made permanent. Much of the celebration marking the end of the Second World War in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled “The Forgotten Army”.