Prince Harry’s Secret VJ Day Tribute to Prince Philip Revealed

Prince Harry has paid a quiet but deeply personal tribute to World War II heroes and his late grandfather, Prince Philip, during Friday’s 80th anniversary commemorations of VJ Day — but he did it from thousands of miles away.

While the Duke of Sussex, 40, remained in Montecito, California, he arranged for a close friend to place a wreath and a heartfelt letter on his behalf at the Burma Star Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England.

Harry specifically requested that the tribute be laid only after King Charles and Queen Camilla had left the service, which honored those who fought in the Pacific during the final stages of the war.

In his letter, addressed to the “Forgotten Army,” Harry praised the veterans’ “courage and endurance,” calling them “anything but forgettable.” He also reflected on his late grandfather’s role in the Pacific campaign, noting that Prince Philip “spoke with quiet humility” about his service aboard the HMS Whelp during Japan’s surrender.

“For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning,” Harry wrote. “As I think of him, I think also of each of you — of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave. Your service in the jungles and mountains of Burma and beyond was marked by grit, unity, and sacrifice.”

The Invictus Games founder, who served two tours in Afghanistan and rose to the rank of captain during his decade in the British Army, expressed being “humbled” by the example of the VJ Day heroes and thanked them for ensuring the freedoms enjoyed by future generations.

“It is because of that sacrifice that generations since, myself included, have been able to live in freedom,” he wrote, signing the letter as “Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex” beneath his personal cypher.

The discreet tribute comes five years after Harry’s request to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph during Remembrance Day in 2020 was denied — a decision that reportedly left him “heartbroken” in the wake of stepping back from royal duties.