Prince Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and helped found the Invictus Games for wounded veterans, was notably absent from a Royal Family statement marking Armed Forces Day, reigniting scrutiny over his estrangement from the monarchy. The omission came as the Royal Family's official social media channels honored the military backgrounds of King Charles III, Prince William, and the late Prince Philip-while making no mention of Harry's combat record.
The post included images and captions highlighting King Charles' service in the Royal Navy, Prince William's tenure as a search and rescue pilot in the RAF, and Prince Philip's World War II deployment. Nowhere in the tribute was Harry's military record mentioned, despite his role as an Apache helicopter pilot during his second deployment to Afghanistan, where he wrote in his memoir Spare that he was involved in "the taking of human lives" on six missions and killed 25 enemy combatants.
The omission sparked swift criticism online. One user wrote, "Where is Prince Harry?" while another added, "As much as Harry isn't part of it any more he still did serve... I still believe he still deserves the credit for this." Another commenter said, "I don't think Harry deserves to be left out-he has probably the most active service of anyone since Prince Philip."
Harry stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and has since relocated to California with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The couple launched the Archewell Foundation the same year to promote mental health, community resilience, and media responsibility. While his relationship with the Royal Family remains strained, Harry continues to engage in public service and advocacy.
Last week, he made an unannounced appearance at the Nexus Global Summit in New York City, where he urged next-generation philanthropists and impact investors to embrace compassion and grassroots solutions. "As the world gets harder, as people's lives become harder, compassion can shrink," Harry told the crowd. "The thing that gives me the most hope is the grassroots approach."
He continued, "Many of you here today are connected and involved with so many community solutions, because it's what energises all of you, and that service part is really what energises me as well."
During the event, Harry met with the Nexus Australian delegation, which focuses on mental health and social media safety, and a Brazilian group of youth leaders tackling inequality through education and volunteerism. He closed his address with a call to action: "Whatever you put out there, you get back."
