Prince Harry Opens Up About His British Pride in Moving Essay — 'Though Currently I May Live in the U.S.'
- - Prince Harry Opens Up About His British Pride in Moving Essay — 'Though Currently I May Live in the U.S.'
Janine HenniNovember 6, 2025 at 2:43 AM
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Prince Harry salutes during the sitting volleyball final at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada on Feb. 15, 2025 -
Prince Harry opened up about what defines British identity in an essay ahead of Remembrance Day
The Duke of Sussex, 41, released a piece entitled, "The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry"
King Charles' son wrote about his "love" of the British spirit and said Remembrance "isn't confined to one weekend in November"
Prince Harry is reflecting on what defines the British identity and his perspective as a veteran in an essay ahead of Remembrance Day.
On Nov. 5, King Charles' son published a surprise essay entitled "The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry" as his trip to Canada for Remembrance Day events begins.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, reflected on the significance of commemorating Remembrance Day, what he loves about the British spirit and his pride in the work of the military charities he's affiliated with.
"Every November, the world, for a moment, grows quieter. We pause, together, to remember. Remembrance has never been about glorifying war. It’s about recognizing its cost: the lives changed forever and the lessons paid for, through unimaginable sacrifice," Harry began the essay shared with PEOPLE. "It’s also about honoring those who, knowing that cost, still choose to serve."
Harry acknowledged that while he now lives in the U.S., Britain "always will be" the country he served for.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, moved to California after stepping back from their royal roles in the U.K. in 2020, and are raising their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, there.
"Though currently, I may live in the United States, Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for," Harry wrote. "The banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands ridiculous as it sounds, these are the things that make us British. I make no apology for it. I love it.
"That same spirit lives in every member of our Armed Forces and the families who serve beside them," he continued, and shouted out the Invictus Games and Scotty's Little Soldiers. The Duke of Sussex is the Global Ambassador for the latter charity, which supports the children of fallen British military.
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Prince Harry at Project Healthy Minds' World Mental Health Day Gala in New York City on Oct. 9, 2025.
Harry is a veteran, having served for a decade in the British Army from 2005 to 2015. During that time, he deployed twice to Afghanistan, rose to the rank of captain and created the Invictus Games as an international adaptive sports tournament to uplift veterans, which he continues to run.
The Duke of Sussex referenced his September trip to Ukraine to visit the Superhumans Center, a rehabilitation hub specializing in war trauma, and said he recognized in those there a determination that reminded him of Britain.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Game 4 of the World Series in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2025.
“In every face, both military and civilian, I saw resilience and a fierce determination not to be defined by what had been taken from them… There is a similar stoic spirit of self-deprecation and humor in Ukrainians, that I recognize more than any other, in us Brits," he wrote.
Harry also wrote that one only needs to spend "a few hours at the Invictus Games" to feel that energy and personally see the "proof that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off."
He added that he wrote to families from Scotty’s Little Soldiers this week and is always moved by the strength of the "sons and daughters who wear yellow and black scarves in honor of their parents, many of them marching proudly at the Cenotaph this weekend. They don’t march with bitterness, but with love and pride."
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Prince Harry in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Nov. 9, 2014.
Remembrance Day is the British equivalent of Veteran's Day in the U.S., with both solemn holidays honoring the service and sacrifices of the military community observed annually on Nov. 11. The Cenotaph is a reference to the London war memorial where the National Service of Remembrance, the national commemoration for Remembrance Sunday (attended by the King and other working royals) is held each year.
"Remembrance, then, is not simply a minute’s silence. It’s a call to collective responsibility. Not through sympathy, but through admiration and respect," Harry elsewhere mentioned and reflected on his "privilege of serving alongside men and women from all four corners of the U.K."
He urged that the collective duty to those personnel "does not end when their service does," writing, "They safeguarded our freedom. We must safeguard their future."
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Prince Harry at the Invictus Games 2025 on Feb. 13, 2025.
Ruminating on Remembrance, the Duke of Sussex wrote, "As we look around the world this Remembrance Sunday and, on the 11th, peace for those lucky enough to know it, feels more fragile than ever…. Remembrance isn’t confined to one weekend in November. It’s a lifelong commitment to empathy, gratitude, and action; to be kinder, more united, and braver in protecting what those before us fought to preserve.
"So, as we bow our heads this weekend, let us remember not only the fallen, but the living – those who still carry the weight of war in body and mind, and the families who bear its memory in their hearts," he wrote.
"If you live near them, knock on their door. If you see them around, shake their hand. And if you feel so inclined, join them for a cuppa…or a pint, to hear their story and remind them their service still matters," Prince Harry concluded, dropping the popular British terms for a cup of tea or a beer.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
