The Duke of Sussex wore a dark suit pinned with military medals and a red poppy as he joined local residents at the market town service.
Footage obtained by SWNS placed him near The Crown Hotel shortly before 3pm, standing quietly away from the main crowd before walking into the market to shake hands with residents.
Low-Key Memorial Appearance
An onlooker described the appearance as a respectful gesture, noting that he stayed for the entire service and wanted to show respect. The Brackley Royal British Legion issued a public statement following the event.
As Chairman of Brackley Royal British Legion, I wish to thank Prince Harry Duke of Sussex for attending our Remembrance Sunday Parade today.
Chairman of Brackley Royal British Legion, Oxford Mail
The chairman added: He quietly stood on parade with his medals and paid respect. I personally thanked him for attending.
Another remark addressed him directly: Your Royal Highness it is an honour you attended our Parade.
The appearance in Northamptonshire marked his first Remembrance Day back in the UK since moving.
Harry was in active military service between 2005 and 2015 and was deployed twice in Afghanistan, spending ten weeks in Helmand Province during 2007-2008 and twelve weeks with the Army Air Corps. Following his time in the British Army, he founded the Invictus Games in 2014, an international multi-sport event held every two years for wounded, injured, and sick military service personnel and veterans.
In January 2020, the Sussexes stepped back from royal duty and subsequently moved to the United States. He returned to the UK alongside Meghan and their family, and is thought to be living in the Cotswolds, a 45-minute drive away from Brackley.
Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure from the Firm announced in early 2020, Prince Harry’s final appearance at official national Remembrance Sunday events alongside his relatives occurred in November 2019, just prior to his withdrawal from royal duties. After moving away from the UK, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle observed Remembrance Sunday in 2020 by visiting the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Much like his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, he no longer takes part in events paying tribute to the fallen with the Royal Family, and Remembrance Day wreaths laid by Harry and Andrew were taken off display at the Poppy Factory as first reported in 2022.
Cenotaph Commemorations in London
Sixty-three miles away in central London, King Charles III led the nation in a two-minute silence during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, where 10,000 armed forces veterans gathered. Buckingham Palace released a statement in September reiterating that Harry and Meghan would still not be considered working royals, and Prince Harry remains estranged from his brother, Prince William.
Prince Harry's Remembrance Sunday appearance. PH who served in the military for a decade, was spotted at a small remembrance service in Brackley, a market town in Northamptonshire, where he was able to fly under the radar. One of the onlookers said: “He was there for the whole… pic.twitter.com/I3ryMqviy9
In 2013, William concluded seven-and-a-half years of active, full-time military duty, and he continues to champion the welfare and professional roles of current and former service members as a central focus of his endeavors. Following the First World War—which claimed the lives of roughly one million British service members—the initial Armistice Day ceremony was held on November 11, 1919, upon the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
Other senior royals in attendance included the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra. Senior politicians and figures including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Kemi Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey, Nigel Farage, Shabana Mahmood, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and nine former prime ministers including Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair also attended the ceremony.
The Duke Supports Military Bereavement Charity Scotty’s
Ahead of Remembrance Weekend, the military bereavement charity Scotty’s released an annual letter from the Duke, who has supported Scotty’s since 2017 and served as its Global Ambassador since 2023. The organization supports children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Recently, the organization broadened its reach to aid anyone impacted by military bereavement—including current and former British Armed Forces personnel navigating their own personal losses—allowing his annual letter to be shared with adults alongside children and young people throughout the expanded Scotty’s community for the very first time.
Laura Robbins MBE noted that Scotty’s extension recognizes the impact military bereavement can have on the whole family, noting her husband, Squadron Leader Nick Robbins, died while serving in the Royal Air Force on September 28, 2014.
A contingent of 55 bereaved military youth ranging from seven to 25 years old, joined by 45 parents, guardians, and Scotty staff members, represents the wider Scotty’s delegation at these gatherings, donning apparel styled after the specific colors of Corporal Lee Scott’s squadron in the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment prior to his death in Afghanistan in 2009.
Eight-year-old Ronan Doncaster served as the youngest participant in the London procession, marching in memory of his father, a guardsman in the First Battalion Coldstream Guards who passed away in April 2024.
Remembrance is an important time for our community,
Harry wrote in the letter.
Behind every name being remembered is someone who was loved and is deeply missed. I hope this letter reminds everyone in our community that they are not alone, that the person they are remembering matters, and that Scotty’s is here for them.
He also wrote: Remembrance, then, is not simply a minute’s silence. It’s a call to collective responsibility. Not through sympathy, but through admiration and respect.