THE decision to block Prince Harry’s Cenotaph wreath may have fuelled the royal rift which eventually led to his bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, it’s claimed.
It’s been reported the Queen’s decision to block the request to have the memorial laid on his behalf on Remembrance Day left him feeling “deeply wounded.”
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One source told The Mail on Sunday that Harry felt particularly hurt as he believed his 10 years of service with the military had not been taken into consideration.
“His military work is one of the most important things to him,” a friend told the paper.
The Prince is also reported to have felt “further pushed away” by the Royal Family in the wake of November’s decision.
Prince Charles laid a wreath at the ceremony and also one on behalf of the Queen, who was watching from a balcony.
The Princess Royal, Harry’s brother William and the Earl of Wessex also laid memorials at the televised ceremony.
Harry marked the occasion by appearing on a special podcast alongside members of the armed forces.
He and Meghan were also pictured laying a wreath at a cemetery in Los Angeles later in the day.
They said afterwards that they wanted to “personally recognise” the day in their own way.
Ex-Household Cavalry Lance Corporal Martyn, who served with Harry in Afghanistan, told the MoS: “He was very passionate about what he’d done, he has obviously served his time.
“To have that taken away will be a massive ordeal for him, it’s a big thing that he’s done, and personally I hope it’s worth it for him… he is obviously just looking out for his family.”
It was originally reported that palace officials had turned down Harry’s request without telling the Harry’s gran.
However it was later claimed that the Queen made the decision herself – taking “all of two seconds”.
A source said: “The Queen is very firmly of the opinion that you can’t pick and choose what you do when it comes to the institution. Either you are in – or you are out.”
Harry wreath was later seen laying forgotten at the Royal British Legion’s Kent headquarters.
He first laid a wreath at the Cenotaph 11 years ago, and served in the military for more than 10 years, while also being involved in promoting causes for veterans including the Invictus Games.
He described wearing his poppy with pride to “celebrate the bravery of all our veterans… the people I remember when I lay a wreath at the Cenotaph.”
Harry’s decision to pay tribute at the LA cemetery drew some criticism as he was accused of a “PR stunt.”
TV host Piers Morgan tweeted at the time: “Outrageous. Treating Remembrance Sunday like a PR opportunity & trying to steal headlines from the real royals doing their duty back home.”
