Prince Harry urges Brits not to forget veterans 'once the uniform comes off' in passionate Remembrance Day essay

The Duke of Sussex, who undertook two frontline tours in Afghanistan, described his love for "things that make us British” in a personal 647-word piece titled “The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it means to be British – By Prince Harry".

The former soldier- who currently lives in Montecito, California - called on people to remember “not only the fallen, but the living” who carry the “weight of war".

Read more: Prince William cuddles baby as he samples island life on trip to Brazilian retreat

Read more: William and Kate throw party for builders and staff who helped them leave 'cursed' cottage early

He urged Brits to knock on veterans’ doors and “join them for a cuppa…or a pint” to hear their stories and “remind them their service still matters”.

The duke acknowledged although he “currently” lives in the US, he reflects that “Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for”.

His thoughts were released while his brother the Prince of Wales is in the midst of a major tour to Brazil and on the day of William’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.

It is understood Harry’s words were released on Wednesday to avoid drawing focus away from William’s major speech at the Cop30 climate talks in the Amazon on Thursday.

It was also released before Remembrance events such as the Field of Remembrance on Thursday, the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday and commemorations at the Cenotaph on Sunday.

In the essay, Harry paid tribute to the “stoic spirit” of self-deprecation and humour of “us Brits” and fondly tells how the “banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands” are the “things that make us British”, adding “I love it.”

He describes Remembrance as “not simply a minute’s silence” but “a call to collective responsibility”.

The duke says at the start of his reflective piece: “Every November the world, for a moment, grows quieter. We pause, together, to remember.

"It’s also about honouring those who, knowing that cost, still choose to serve."

Writing of the “resilience” and “fierce determination” of the Ukrainians he met while visiting the war-torn country in September, Harry adds: “There is a similar stoic spirit of self-deprecation and humour in Ukrainians, that I recognise more than any other, in us Brits.

"Though currently, I may live in the United States, Britain is, and always will be, the country I proudly served and fought for.

"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.”

Paying a special tribute to former servicemen and women across the UK’s four home nations and their communities, he writes: “I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside men and women from all four corners of the UK; from Antrim to Anglesey, Lancashire to London, Wrexham to the East Riding, Belfast to Bedfordshire and beyond.

“I saw courage and compassion in the harshest conditions imaginable.

"But I also saw how easy it can be, once the uniform comes off, for those who gave everything, to feel forgotten.”

He warns that “our duty to them does not end when their service does”, and adds: “They safeguarded our freedom. We must safeguard their future. That way we all benefit."

Harry expresses concern that, around the world this Remembrance Sunday, “peace for those lucky enough to know it, feels more fragile than ever”.

He tells how he is “moved” each year by the strength of the children of fallen military heroes supported by the Norfolk-based Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity, and praises the courage and camaraderie seen at his Invictus Games competition.

He finishes with: “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.

"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."

The duke’s message came as he prepared to begin a two-day visit to Toronto on Wednesday, during which he will meet Canadian veterans, members of the armed forces community and military charities to mark the ‘Remembrancetide’ period which spans the two-week period leading up to Remembrance Sunday.

Harry is said to have wanted to use his message to speak directly to the men and women around the UK who he served alongside.

He is said to strongly feel that, although the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts may be over and the operational tempo has slowed, with many troops having hung up their uniforms, he has not forgotten them and nor should the wider British public.

In 2020, the year he stepped down as a senior working royal and moved to the US with the Duchess of Sussex, Harry was left saddened when he was refused his wish to have a poppy wreath placed at the Cenotaph, the focus of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday service, on his behalf.

Just months later, the duke was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II after his decision to pursue a life of personal and financial freedom was made permanent.

He has outlined the importance he places on his time in the forces, saying in 2020: “(My military) experience changed my life forever and for the better.

“It changed how I viewed sacrifice and service. I was born into a life of duty, but it was during my decade in the army that I committed to a life of service.”

He added that it “made me who I am today”.

Harry set up his Invictus Games competition for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women more than a decade ago in 2014.

Birmingham has won the bid to host the Games in the UK in 2027.

In August this year, Harry paid a poignant tribute to his grandfather Prince Philip, the late duke of Edinburgh, in a personal letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

Harry asked a friend to discreetly leave the note and a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial in Staffordshire, following the national commemorations attended by the King and Queen.