While at events in Portsmouth to commemorate D-Day today, Prince William displayed a subtle detail on his clothing showing his support for his father King Charles that Prince Harry has yet to do
Prince William displayed a subtle show of support for his father King Charles with a move Prince Harry is yet to make.
The Prince of Wales joined the monarch as well as Queen Camilla at the 80th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Portsmouth today. The royals were joined by leading politicians and veterans for the moving ceremony, where veterans recounted their memories of the operation during the Second World War.
As part of the event, William gave an emotional speech where he told the flag-waving crowd he was "deeply honoured" to be part of proceedings on Southsea Common and said "we will always remember those who served".
During his address, William proudly wore numerous medals, including the Great Master of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath around his neck, the Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals, and in a show of support for his father, the Coronation medal.
The Coronation medal was awarded to those who contributed to Charles' Coronation over a year ago, including Royal Family members and those in the Armed Forces. Both William and Harry were awarded the medals - but Harry has so far failed to wear his.
Royal fans noticed Harry was not wearing his Coronation medal during a video appearance last month as he presented the prestigious Military Times Soldier of the Year Award. Despite wearing other medals, this one was noticeably absent. He also failed to wear it at an event to mark 10 years of the Invictus Games at St Paul's Cathedral days later.
It raised eyebrows with some seeing the move as a snub. But according to the Daily Mail, it was not meant as a dig, with a source saying the medal had to be sent to a specialist to be fixed. They told the publication: "Harry's failure to wear his father's Coronation medal wasn't intended as a snub to the King.
It added that the the medal was 'swing-mounted' on a short ribbon and needed to be sent to a specialist to affix to a longer ribbon and mount it on a hard backing to stop it from swinging around.
It comes as William took centre stage at the national ceremony in Portsmouth marking the historic 1944 Normandy landings, the turning point in the Allies' Second World War victory.
The prince, without the Princess of Wales who is away from public duties while she undergoes treatment for cancer, spoke of the families who "watched their loved ones go into battle" as they left for the largest seaborne invasion in history in June 1944. Addressing the crowd at Southsea Common, William said: "We will always remember those who served and those who waved them off.
"The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return.
"Today we remember the bravery of those who crossed this sea to liberate Europe. Those who ensured that Operation Overlord was a success. And those who waited for their safe return." He said those who fought on D-Day "came from across our nation and from all walks of life to join in the fight against tyranny".
"Many of those that took up arms had never seen combat before, some were still only in their teens," he added. The prince read a moving and poetic letter by Captain Alastair Bannerman of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, written in his diary at 3am on the morning of D-Day, just hours before the landings, and addressed to his wife.
It spoke of the moon shining through heavy clouds and the "row of small ships and of darker balloons silhouetted in front and behind us against the grey sea". Captain Bannerman thought of his wife and two young sons asleep in their nursery – and photographs of the soldier and his blond-haired children were shown on the screen behind William as he read the words.
William delivered his speech before the arrival of the King and Queen, with Charles also making his own address. He is set to attend events in Normandy on Thursday including a service hosted by Canada at Juno Beach and an international ceremony hosted by France at Omaha Beach which will be attended by more than 25 heads of state.
