Prince Harry participated in a thanksgiving service in Britain on Wednesday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The ceremony, hosted at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, featured Harry, 39, making a rare public appearance in his native country. His solitary presence at the event drew considerable focus due to his strained relations with his family. Currently, Harry resides in California with his wife Meghan and their two children, away from the royal fold.
His recent memoir, interviews, and TV documentaries have contributed to his distancing from other members of the royal family, as he openly criticized both them and the institution itself. Despite briefly reuniting with his father, King Charles, after the announcement of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis in February, there are no arrangements for the father and son to meet during Harry’s current visit to the UK. A spokesperson for Harry, the Duke of Sussex, attributed the missed opportunity to the king’s busy schedule, emphasizing Harry’s understanding of his father’s commitments and priorities. While Harry attended the Invictus Games service at St Paul’s Cathedral, King Charles hosted the inaugural annual garden party at Buckingham Palace, accompanied by other senior royals. Additionally, the king was scheduled to fulfill engagements at a military training base the following day.
Harry’s attendance at the service underscored his singular royal presence, emphasizing his connection to the international sporting event he established in 2014 for wounded military personnel. Arriving at the cathedral unaccompanied, he was welcomed by a crowd outside and slated to deliver a reading during the service. Actor Damian Lewis also took part, reciting a poem to the congregation, which comprised veterans and injured service personnel. After departing from Britain, Harry will be joined by Meghan for a visit to Nigeria, although Meghan did not accompany him on his trip to London.