On VJ Day, Prince Harry arranged for a friend to place a wreath and a personal letter at the Burma Star Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum. In the letter, Harry honored the often-forgotten heroes of the Pacific theater of World War II, honoring their sacrifices and honoring his late grandfather Prince Philip, who fought in the Pacific. When Harry wrote the letter and made the arrangements for his wreath to be placed at the memorial, he probably had no idea that his lazy-ass brother was going to skip the 80th anniversary commemorations. Prince William and Kate sent a curt tweet and continued on with their summer vacation and that was that. Instead of actually talking about William’s dereliction of royal duty, royalists obviously have to talk around the side-by-side comparison. The prince who was pushed out and smeared did more to honor WWII veterans than the prince who demanded an emotional-support mansion. Please allow Tessa Dunlop to explain what this side-by-side comparison is really about!
Prince Harry’s secret letter that was placed at a war memorial sends a huge message to the Royal Family following a ‘gut punch”, according to a royal expert. It emerged that the Duke of Sussex paid a poignant tribute to his grandfather, Prince Philip, in the letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. And according to royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, the move shows how Harry has left a “gaping hole” in the Firm.
She told the Mirror: “Last week’s VJ Day anniversary was heavy with emotion; a sombre recall of the cost of conflict 80 years after the end of the Pacific War beneath the leafy calm of Staffordshire’s National Memorial Arboretum. Thirty-three veterans made the journey and were honoured by King Charles, who assured them they would never be forgotten. A perfect day, but one without mention of his forgotten son, Prince Harry, once the Royal Family’s most effective military figurehead. It was only after the King and Queen had departed that a friend of Harry’s discreetly laid the Duke’s wreath, dedicated to his late Grandfather, Prince Philip, who fought in the Pacific War and those who served with him.”
“The letter was thoughtful, detailing the ‘unforgiving terrain’ and years of endurance ‘far from home’ that the service personnel endured: it honoured the ‘grit, unity and sacrifice’ of the ‘Forgotten Army’. Its belated discovery at the foot of the Burma Star memorial has served to remind King and country of the gaping hole Harry’s absence has left in the commemorative circuit. With two outstanding tours in Afghanistan – one cruelly cut short – the Duke’s easy manner and dashing presence in honorary uniform are much missed. Women who have lost sons and husbands in Afghanistan speak to the Duke’s exceptional presence in their time of grief. No one in the Royal Family was a better fit for this most important commemorative role.”
And Tessa explained how this latest letter and wreath is a quiet reminder for the royals. She added: “There is much talk of the Sussexes’ new life in Montecito, of Meghan’s influencer success, of Harry’s difficulties outside the Royal Family, far less attention is paid to his leave of absence from that other institution, the army, and the Duke’s forced abandonment of all his honorary roles. Having first laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in 2009, it was a painful reminder of the cost of what he had left behind when in 2020, he was forbidden from continuing the practice.”
“Doubling down on that pain was Prince William’s recent appointment as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps in 2024, making Harry’s big brother the leader of the regiment the Duke once flew in Apache helicopters for in Afghanistan. In comparison, the Prince of Wales flew search-and-rescue helicopters in Wales. One more gut-punch for the estranged Duke, whose long letter honouring the Pacific War veterans was a quiet reminder that Harry has not forgotten the most important role he was forced to abandon when he left the Royal Family, even if his family appears to have forgotten him.”
That last part is just Dunlop toeing the party line and using the palace’s talking points – King Charles was trying to get under Harry’s skin by appointing William to the honorary Colonel-in-Chief role. The whole point of that farce was “look at us, Harry, WE’RE SNUBBING YOU, pay attention, Harry!” Their cruelty is the message. But what goes unsaid is that William’s laziness is a larger message – that William is only interested in one-upping his brother (in an extremely sad and obvious way), and that William doesn’t give a sh-t about any of this beyond “will it get under Harry’s skin??” Anyway, the real conversation which none of these people want to have is that Harry effortlessly made William look like a lazy, entitled dilettante.
Tessa Dunlop did acknowledge some of this in an interview over the weekend:
Here’s Tessa Dunlop admitting the British press have created the monster that is Willy & Kate.
“… the predominantly right wing press have pushed William and Kate up on this incredible untouchable pedestal. So …understandably, he pretty much feels he can do what he likes.” pic.twitter.com/0R2WOoeKBJ
— Zandi Sussex (@ZandiSussex) August 17, 2025
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red, GB News screengrabs.
