Prince Harry is facing fresh criticism after his unannounced appearance at the Burma Star Memorial on VJ Day was branded a calculated “PR stunt” by palace insiders. The Duke of Sussex placed a handwritten note at the site following the official ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum. Some within royal circles claim the gesture was a deliberate attempt to “upstage” senior members of the family.
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Harry, who has remained estranged from the royal household, reportedly arrived shortly after the King and Queen departed from the event commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, honoring the “Forgotten Army,” who served in the Pacific during World War II.
While the Duke’s message paid tribute to his late grandfather, Prince Philip, observers say the timing and presentation of the gesture raised eyebrows inside Buckingham Palace. According to one palace insider, Harry’s appearance was “no accident.”
“Arriving after the King had gone made it seem respectful on the surface,” the insider told RadarOnline.com. “But the timing, the note, and the perfectly staged photos made it obvious it was a PR play. People in the palace were livid. It was meant to be the King’s moment of remembrance, yet Harry managed to turn the spotlight back on himself,” they added.
One insider remarked that the gesture seemed “far too polished to be genuine.” Sources inside the royal household say no one had been informed of Harry’s plans to attend the memorial. “The event had been planned for months, with the King and Camilla front and center. For Harry to appear afterwards, conveniently with cameras waiting, felt very deliberate and carefully orchestrated.”
The insider continued, “If this wasn’t a PR stunt, Harry could have laid the note quietly and walked away. But the fact it was captured and shared so neatly tells you everything you need to know.”
A former royal aide described the moment as “deeply frustrating” for the monarch, who had hoped the commemoration would remain focused on honoring veterans. “Charles intended the day to honor the veterans and the nation’s remembrance,” the aide said. “But once again, it turned into a story about family tensions. It was exactly the kind of distraction he doesn’t need,” they concluded.
Originally reported by Khushali Srivastava on Reality Tea.
