The Duke of Sussex paid a poignant tribute to his grandfather Prince Philip in a personal letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum
The Duke of Sussex(Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)
The Duke of Sussex has paid a touching tribute to his late grandfather, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, with a personal letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Harry had a friend discreetly place the note and a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial in Staffordshire on Friday, following national commemorations attended by the King and Queen, as revealed by GB News.
The letter was placed after Charles and Camilla departed, so as not to distract from the service honouring the sacrifice of Second World War heroes who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East.
VJ Day, observed on August 15, marks the anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allies following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, bringing an end to the six-year-long conflict.
From thousands of miles away in California, Harry wrote: “For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning.
“My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign.
The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Harry(Image: PA)
“He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theatre of war.
“Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave.”
The late duke, who passed away aged 99 in 2021, was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri.
The King, who had previously spoken publicly about his father’s wartime service during the 75th anniversary in 2020, made no reference to Philip in his audio message to the nation on Friday morning commemorating 80 years since VJ Day.
However, he did honour his mentor and great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who supervised the defeat of the Japanese advance towards India as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command.
Harry’s letter, which was directed to the “Forgotten Army”, stated: “On this 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we pause to remember the day the guns finally fell silent across the world, the true end of the Second World War.
“We also pause to recognise you, the men and women of the ‘Forgotten Army,’ whose courage and endurance in the Far East campaign were anything but forgettable.
“You faced an enemy determined to the last, fought in unforgiving terrain, and endured months, even years, far from home, in conditions most could scarcely imagine.
“Your service in the jungles and mountains of Burma and beyond was marked by grit, unity, and sacrifice.
“It is because of that sacrifice that generations since, myself included, have been able to live in freedom.
“From the lessons of that bitter struggle came the understanding that even the fiercest of foes can, in time, become valued partners in peace.
A personal letter secretly left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, by a friend of the Duke of Sussex(Image: Copyright remains with handout provider)
“Today, as both our nations mark this anniversary, we acknowledge the respect earned, the lives lost and the enduring friendship that has since taken root.”
Following his remarks about Philip, Harry continued: “I am humbled by your example, proud of your service and dedication, and profoundly grateful for what you endured.
“Your story is part of our shared heritage, and it must never be forgotten. With the deepest respect, thank you.”
The correspondence, bearing the duke’s cypher of an H beneath a crown, was signed “Harry”, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
In 2020, the year of Megxit, former serviceman Harry was left disappointed when his request to have a poppy wreath laid at the Cenotaph, the centrepiece of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday ceremony, on his behalf was declined.
Just months afterwards, the duke, who completed two deployments to Afghanistan, was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II following his decision to step back as a senior working Royal becoming permanent.
Much of the commemoration marking the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945 centred on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East dubbed “The Forgotten Army”.