- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday caught the ire of British broadcaster Piers Morgan.
- “Just outrageous – treating Remembrance Sunday like a PR opportunity, & trying to steal headlines from the real royals doing their duty back home,” Morgan tweeted.
- Despite Morgan’s comments, Prince Harry has had a deep connection with military forces, including US troops, and served as an officer in the British Army.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to the Los Angeles National Cemetery in observance of Remembrance Sunday caught the ire of British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who alleged it was a public-relations ploy to grab attention.
Remembrance Day is observed by Commonwealth countries to memorialize those who died in battle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the 127-acre cemetery in West Los Angeles, near the major Veterans Affairs center for retired US service members. The two former working royals currently reside in nearby Santa Barbara after quitting their roles with the royal family earlier this year.
For their visit, the duke and duchess took flowers from their personal garden and placed them on the graves of a Royal Australian Air Force and a Royal Canadian Artillery veterans, according to British broadcasting station ITV. Harry also signed a message saying, “To all of those who have served, and are serving. Thank you.”
Morgan, an influential commentator in the UK, has been an outspoken critic of the duke and duchess, particularly after they left their official titles behind. Morgan previously likened the two to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and described them as “little spoiled brats” who were holding the queen to ransom.
“Just outrageous – treating Remembrance Sunday like a PR opportunity, & trying to steal headlines from the real royals doing their duty back home,” Morgan tweeted on Sunday.
Despite Morgan’s comments, Prince Harry has had a deep connection with the military, including US troops. The duke served in the British Army for a decade and deployed twice to Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot.
The duke and duchess have attended several events to honor US military veterans and created the Invictus Games, an Olympics-like event for wounded or sick service members.
“I have always had such a profound respect for our nation’s troops and military families,” Markle said during a United Service Organizations (USO) event in 2014. “I cannot thank them enough for everything they do for us.”
Prince Harry has also visited American memorial sites like Arlington National Cemetery. In 2013, he paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where he laid a wreath. He later went on to the nearby Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to visit wounded service members.
According to multiple British reports, Prince Harry had asked to take part in the royal family’s Remembrance Sunday service by having a wreath laid be laid for him, but was denied because “he is no longer representing the monarchy.” The Sunday Times newspaper reported that Prince Harry’s request was unknown to the queen.
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