Prince Harry and Meghan miss Festival of Remembrance after sending message from US

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not join the rest of the Royal Family for Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph

Prince Harry and Meghan missed the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening after sending a message from the US.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recorded a new video message that appears to have been filmed in California, where the Sussexes have resided with their children, Archie and Lilibet, since 2020.

The royals, who stepped back from official duties over four years ago, spoke in a video on Thursday about protecting ‘the most vulnerable in our world’ against the threat of digital violence and harm, a cause the couple is passionate about.

Although the royals both wore dark blazers with poppy pins fastened on their lapels, there was no mention of the Festival of Remembrance or Remembrance Sunday.

Meghan and Harry

Prince Harry and Meghan missed the Festival of Remembrance after sending a message from the US.

Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children/Getty

Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, did not attend the annual Festival of Remembrance in the UK last night and will not join the rest of the Royal Family for Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph.

When they were working royals, they sat at the back of the royal box, far from the senior Royal Family members, which was seen as a snub by some royal fans.

Meghan and Harry snub
In 2018 and 2019, Harry and Meghan sat at the back of the royal box, far from the senior Royal Family members, which was seen as a snub by royal fans.

The late Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat far in front of the now California-based couple in 2019.

The Princess of Wales attended the Festival of Remembrance last night alongside her husband, Prince William, and is believed to be returning to official royal duties after temporarily stepping back for eight months after she announced her cancer diagnosis in March.

It was Princess Kate’s first major public event since she announced she had completed her chemotherapy treatment in September.

The Prince and Princess of Wales watched the event from the royal box alongside the King and Princess Royal.

Queen Camilla was absent from the event after announcing earlier this week that she was battling a chest infection.

Meghan and Harry
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fractured relationship with the Royal Family has resulted in fewer in-person visits back to the UK for the Duke and Duchess.

Getty

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fractured relationship with the Royal Family has resulted in fewer in-person visits back to the UK for the Duke and Duchess.

Their video message was played at the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children in Colombia, with Harry opening their address.

He said: We are at a crossroads where the urgency to reassess and redefine our approach to protecting children has become increasingly evident.

“While the necessity has always been apparent, it is now time to translate that awareness into meaningful action.”

Harry and Meghan launched the Parents’ Network, an online campaign to tackle harm caused to children online, in August this year.