The Royal Family joined for a rare appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day – a telling story when it came to estranged Prince Harry, says expert
The Royal Family’s appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to kick off commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day spoke volumes about the plight of Prince Harry, according to an expert. It was 80 years ago that thousands flocked to The Mall in 1945 at the end of the Second World War and the scenes were repeated today as crowds gathered to greet the King and Queen and watch an RAF flypast after an armed forces parade through the capital.
Members of the monarchy, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, sat with veterans as they watched the parade before making a rare appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a roaring fly past. The royals are scheduled to take part in engagements over the next four days, less than a week after Harry told the BBC his father will not speak to him and he does not know how much longer the King has left.
READ MORE: Prince Louis’ clear verdict on palace balcony of VE Day flypast revealed by lip reader
The King and Queen are said to be “looking forward” to the week’s events, and it is understood that, out of respect for the surviving veterans, Buckingham Palace hopes “nothing will detract or distract from celebrating with full cheer and proud hearts that precious victory and those brave souls, on this most special and poignant of anniversaries”.
However, according to royal author and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, Harry’s bombshell interview did reverberate around the event. She told the Mirror: “The balcony scene is without fail one of the high points of any ceremonial occasion, Britain’s first family putting their best foot forward, old and young, uniformed and smiling, the Red Arrows roaring overhead as the royals wave at the crowds down below.
“But despite all the nostalgic flourishes (a particular favourite was Princess Anne channelling her late mother in the same First Aid Nursing Yeomanry uniform Elizabeth wore 80 years ago), there was no escaping the painful reverberations from Harry’s no-holes-barred interview last Friday.
“By reminding everyone that his father is unwell (Harry tactlessly said he ‘does not know how much longer’ Charles has), the prince focused hearts and minds on the King. Meanwhile, Kate’s chic burgundy suit and cute collection of children could not distract from the ageing cluster of royals who trooped off the dais and onto the balcony.
“Most notably, the Duke of Kent, now in his 90th year, whose young life was upended when his father died in an aeroplane crash in Scotland in World War Two.
“Like the Duke of Kent, with his own painful back story and military prowess, Harry was once a credible addition to ceremonial events, a flash of youthful charisma that spoke to future generations of service.” Tessa says she has met families who have lost sons and daughters in Afghanistan, who have been nothing but complimentary of Harry, who served two tours of duty there.
And she explained: “I have interviewed families who lost sons and daughters in Afghanistan and Iraq and who testify to the importance of Harry on that commemorative circuit. How far the Prince has subsequently fallen in our nation’s esteem.
“While many of us had a degree of sympathy for Harry over the scaling back of his security brief, the broadside he launched against his own father, the King (and the commander-and-chief of our armed forces) was unforgivable on the eve of these all-important VE Day commemorations.
“The Prince talked from two sides of his mouth, on the one hand apparently longing for reconciliation while simultaneously doubling down on the importance of his truth.
“The scale of the attack and its very public nature suggests that any redemptive move and meaningful reconciliation is unlikely to take place. This will gut the King, who is a sensitive man with a lot on his plate.”
And now she sees a case of history repeating itself from the royal balcony appearance 80 years ago in 1945. She added: “While many of us regard the royals on the famous red-clad balcony with dewy-eyed affection, it is hard not to find uncomfortable parallels with the same scene in 1945.
“Eighty years ago the disgraced Duke of Windsor, (abdicated Edward VIII) was nowhere to be seen, scroll forward eight decades and likewise there is a gaping hole on the balcony.
“And, as the Duke of Windsor learnt to his cost, while the Royal Family are emboldened by national commemorative events, trying to eek out a living on the sidelines is far harder. Be assured this is not the last we will hear from Harry, a man who has lost so much on the quest to find himself.”
Tessa Dunlop is the author of the new book Lest We Forget War and Peace in 100 British Monuments.