Prince Harry ‘snubs the King’ before Charles gives major health update
Eagle-eyed royal fans have wondered if Prince Harry has given a subtle snub to his father this week as he handed out an award to an American soldier and wore a selection of medals, but not the one marking his father's coronation.
The Duke of Sussex wore four medals on his jacket as he made a speech outside of his Montecito home to combat medic Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks, who won Military Times Soldier of the Year. Three of those medals marked his late grandmother's various Jubilees this century.
However, Harry, who is set to visit the UK next week, is also the owner of a Coronation medal given to him and others after King Charles' coronation to take the throne in May 2023. Around 400,000 people were awarded the medal for being involved in the proceedings or for serving the armed forces and frontline emergency services.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has claimed it's no coincidence Harry has chosen not to wear his Coronation medal, telling The Sun: "The Sussexes do nothing by chance and this clearly emphasises or is intended to emphasise his distance from the Royal Family.
"The Sussexes are well aware that every single thing they do, everything they wear, everything they say, is all going to be examined. The problem is that if he chooses not to wear the coronation medal, it will certainly be seen as a snub to King Charles," he explained.
In addition to his three Jubilee medals, Harry also donned an Operational Service medal given to him for his service in the armed forces in Helmand province.
Following the video, some US natives took to social media to troll the Duke -who stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California - asking why the task was given to him.
One person wrote on Reddit: "Out of everyone in the world they chose Harry?!" while another added: "We didn't have an American Veteran who could do this?"
However, others pointed out that Harry had met Soldier of the Year Sergeant Banks at the Invictus Games in 2016 and called it "special" that he was the one to make the speech about her.
It came just hours before King Charles gave an update on his cancer recovery, as a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "His Majesty’s medical team are very encouraged by the progress made so far and remain positive about the King’s continued recovery.”
Harry is set to return to the UK on Wednesday 8 May to commemorate ten years of the Invictus Games, attending the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, but won't be joined on the trip by his wife.
The Invictus Games took to Instagram on Sunday, 28 April to confirm Harry's attendance at the event and impending trip to the UK. Alongside a snap of the duke, they wrote the caption: "The Invictus Games Foundation will celebrate 10 years of changing lives and saving lives with a 'Service of Thanksgiving' at St Paul's Cathedral on May 8th. We will be joined by our Patron, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, actor Damian Lewis and members of the worldwide Invictus Community to mark the occasion."
