'It was a little bit too slick': Prince Harry's wreath-laying gesture labelled 'PR stunt' by royal expert

Prince Harry's gesture to quietly honour his grandfather Prince Philip has raised a number of eyebrows since it became public earlier this week.

The Duke of Sussex, a former military man himself, asked a friend to lay a wreath at the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day commemorations on Friday, with a note paying tribute to his grandad's service along with others.

Royal biographer Robert Jobson labelled the move "a PR stunt" that would have not gone down well with the late Duke of Edinburgh.

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The wreath was laid at The National Memorial Arboretum after King Charles and Queen Camilla departed the event but the expert said it still pulled focus.

"It was obviously a PR stunt," he told the show Royal Exclusive. "It was a little bit too slick. It was part of operation rebuild Harry."

Jobson said he could "almost hear the derision coming out of the Duke of Edinburgh's mouth" at the move by his grandson, adding that the Duke of Edinburgh "would have hated that".

"He was a serviceman, it wasn't about himself," the royal expert said.

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However, Jobson also expressed sympathy for Prince Harry, saying "he can't really win" after being cut off from the royal family, before correcting himself to say "he cut himself off".

The royal commentator said the "moving" note showed how much the Duke of Sussex wanted to be at the event and called it a missed opportunity.

Prince Harry, who has served two tours of Afghanistan with the Army, has not been allowed to lay a wreath at the cenotaph since his royal exit.

So on this big anniversary of Japan's surrender, ending WWII in 1945, it's understood Harry asked a friend to place one on his behalf.

An accompanying typed note was attached, with Harry's cypher at the top of the page, praising the forgotten heroes of the war in the Pacific.

It mentioned his grandfather, who was a first lieutenant aboard HMS Whelp when the peace agreement was signed.

"For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning," Prince Harry wrote.

"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 Harry's commitment to the armed forces extends beyond his own service, with the royal creating the Invictus Games - an Olympic-like event for injured servicemen and women - which has been highly regarded.

When he and wife Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working members of the royal family in 2020, the late Queen Elizabeth - his grandmother - stripped him of his military patronages, which was a gut-punch to the royal.

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