Prince Harry asked a friend to lay a wreath and a letter in memory of his grandfather, Prince Philip, at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day

A secret letter left by Prince Harry at a war memorial is seen as a significant message to the Royal Family following a ‘gut punch’, says a Royal expert.

The Duke of Sussex’s covert tribute to his grandfather, Prince Philip, was discovered at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

Harry reportedly had a friend quietly place the note and a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial after national commemorations attended by the King and Queen.

The letter was strategically placed after Charles and Camilla departed to avoid detracting from the service, which paid homage to the Second World War heroes who fought and died in the Pacific and Far East.

Royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop suggests that this gesture indicates the “gaping hole” Harry has left in the Firm.

Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “Last week’s VJ Day anniversary was heavy with emotion; a sombre recall of the cost of conflict 80 years after the end of the Pacific War beneath the leafy calm of Staffordshire’s National Memorial Arboretum.

“Thirty-three veterans made the journey and were honored by King Charles, who assured them they would never be forgotten. A perfect day, but one without mention of his forgotten son, Prince Harry, once the Royal Family’s most effective military figurehead.

“It was only after the King and Queen had departed that a friend of Harry’s discreetly laid the Duke’s wreath, dedicated to his late Grandfather, Prince Philip, who fought in the Pacific War and those who served with him.

“The letter was thoughtful, detailing the ‘unforgiving terrain’ and years of endurance ‘far from home’ that the service personnel endured: it honored the ‘grit, unity and sacrifice’ of the ‘Forgotten Army’. Its belated discovery at the foot of the Burma Star memorial has served to remind King and country of the gaping hole Harry’s absence has left in the commemorative circuit.

“With two outstanding tours in Afghanistan – one cruelly cut short – the Duke’s easy manner and dashing presence in honorary uniform are much missed.

“Women who have lost sons and husbands in Afghanistan speak to the Duke’s exceptional presence in their time of grief. No one in the Royal Family was a better fit for this most important commemorative role.”

Following Harry and wife Meghan’s departure from their Royal duties, Harry was compelled to relinquish his honorary military positions.

He was also barred from placing a wreath at the Cenotaph during Remembrance Sunday several years ago.

Tessa elaborated on how this recent letter and wreath serve as a subtle reminder for the Royal family. She continued: “There is much talk of the Sussexes’ new life in Montecito, of Meghan’s influencer success, of Harry’s difficulties outside the Royal Family, far less attention is paid to his leave of absence from that other institution, the army, and the Duke’s forced abandonment of all his honorary roles.

“Having first laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in 2009, it was a painful reminder of the cost of what he had left behind when in 2020, he was forbidden from continuing the practice.

“Doubling down on that pain was Prince William’s recent appointment as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps in 2024, making Harry’s big brother the leader of the regiment the Duke once flew Apache helicopters for in Afghanistan. In comparison, the Prince of Wales flew search-and-rescue helicopters in Wales.

“One more gut-punch for the estranged Duke, whose long letter honoring the Pacific War veterans was a quiet reminder that Harry has not forgotten the most important role he was forced to abandon when he left the Royal Family, even if his family appears to have forgotten him.”