Last Friday was the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the commemoration event at the National Memorial Arboretum, while Prince William and Kate lounged around on vacation and sent a tweet. Interestingly enough, Prince Harry also made a point of marking VJ Day. As we learned yesterday, Harry asked a friend to lay a wreath at the Arboretum, and Harry also wrote a personal letter recalling his grandfather’s service in the Pacific theater. GB News had the exclusive, including Harry’s full letter and a photo of the wreath.
Prince Harry has paid special tribute to his late grandfather, Prince Philip, in a personal letter secretly placed at the National Memorial Arboretum, after Friday’s national service of remembrance, attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The Duke of Sussex asked a friend to discreetly place the letter and a wreath at the Burma Star Memorial in Staffordshire, after Their Majesties had departed, in an effort not to distract from official royal commemorations, which marked 80 years since Japan’s surrender at the end of the Second World War.
Friday’s service brought together 33 veterans aged between 96 to 105 who served in the Far East and Pacific, alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prime Minister.
In the poignant letter, Prince Harry said: “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.”
I’m including some clips from GB News below, where you can see a bizarre discussion about whether the wreath and letter means that Harry is desperate to return to the UK. Even GB News’ royal correspondent shrugs off that conversation though, and the only desperation I see is from the British media, all of whom wish that the Sussexes were still living in the UK. There’s also a completely odd tangent about whether Charles knew about Harry’s wreath and letter and whether Charles “allowed” Harry’s wreath to be placed there. I mean… considering the Windsors’ history of disrespect for Harry’s service and his wreaths, I doubt Charles knew the first thing about it. I also don’t believe that Harry intended for this to come out. Anyway, imagine being the whole-ass heir to the throne and thinking “a tweet will suffice” when talking about the Greatest Generation.
GB News’ @CameronDLWalker exclusively reveals Prince Harry has paid tribute to his late grandfather, Prince Philip, in a personal letter secretly placed at the National Memorial Arboretum, after Friday’s national service of remembrance, attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla. pic.twitter.com/CwDRTmHhdE
— GB News (@GBNEWS) August 18, 2025
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, screengrabs courtesy of GB News.
