The Duke of Sussex, 40, paid a heartfelt tribute to Prince Philip in a note left at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

The father-of-two trusted one of his pals to place it down alongside a wreath of red poppies at the Burma Star Memorial in Staffordshire on Friday. As reported by GB News, the note was left after King Charles and Queen Camila paid their respects.

VJ Day, commemorated annually on August 15, marks the anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allies after the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Harry, who did not attend but stayed at his home in California, wrote: “For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning. My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign. He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theatre of war. Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave.”

Prince Philip was in Tokyo Bay on the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri.

King Charles did not mention his father’s experience during his audio address to the nation on Friday morning.

However he remembered his great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who was the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command.

Harry’s letter, which was addressed to the “Forgotten Army”, read: “On this 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we pause to remember the day the guns finally fell silent across the world, the true end of the Second World War. We also pause to recognise you, the men and women of the ‘Forgotten Army,’ whose courage and endurance in the Far East campaign were anything but forgettable. You faced an enemy determined to the last, fought in unforgiving terrain, and endured months, even years, far from home, in conditions most could scarcely imagine.

Your service in the jungles and mountains of Burma and beyond was marked by grit, unity, and sacrifice. It is because of that sacrifice that generations since, myself included, have been able to live in freedom. From the lessons of that bitter struggle came the understanding that even the fiercest of foes can, in time, become valued partners in peace. Today, as both our nations mark this anniversary, we acknowledge the respect earned, the lives lost and the enduring friendship that has since taken root.”

The duke added: “I am humbled by your example, proud of your service and dedication, and profoundly grateful for what you endured. Your story is part of our shared heritage, and it must never be forgotten. With the deepest respect, thank you.”

The letter was signed “Harry”, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Harry was reportedly left saddened in 2020 when he was not allowed to leave a wreath on Remembrance Sunday in the wake of Megxit. And just months later he was stripped of his military patronages by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II after his decision to step down as a senior working royal.