Why Prince Harry Has Already Scheduled A Return Trip To New York
One trip to the big apple isn't enough for most of us — why would it be enough for Prince Harry? After he and his wife Meghan Markle made their first public appearances since the birth of their daughter Lilibet Diana, the Duke of Sussex is apparently set to head back to NYC for a different occasion.
The Evening Standard reports that Prince Harry will fly back to Manhattan to attend and present an award at the Salute to Freedom Gala on November 10th. The event will take place at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum inside the historic Intrepid plane. The outlet reports that the father of two will present five Intrepid Valor Awards to service members, veterans, and their families who have been impacted by their time in combat. The museum dubs the event a way to recognize "extraordinary leadership and honors the brave men and women who serve in defense of our nation."
In addition to having Prince Harry as a guest and presenter, the awards will also feature Jon Bon Jovi who will receive the Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize his contribution on behalf of his own charity, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. The rock star and the prince have worked together before; the outlet notes that Bon Jovi wrote and recorded a song for Prince Harry's Invictus Games in 2020.
Prince Harry lost his military appointments when he left the royal family
Throughout the restructuring of their royal agreements, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle agreed to certain terms. One of those terms involved the Duke of Sussex relinquishing his various titles from his 10 years in the British Armed Forces. Indeed, according to Newsweek, Prince Harry requested that the royal family lay a wreath on his behalf to commemorate Remembrance Day in 2020, but they declined because he had stepped back from his duties. Instead of enduring the embarrassment again, Prince Harry will now honor those who served across the pond.
However, the outlet notes, some have speculated that he may be making his way to the U.K. for Remembrance Day on November 14th. The outlet notes that he's worked with the U.S. military on various endeavors including speaking with veterans who were set to compete in the Warrior Games, which were canceled on account of the pandemic, in 2021. Prince Harry served in Afghanistan, taking two tours of the battleground and later becoming Captain General of the Royal Marines. In February 2021, the Duke officially lost his titles and has since worked with branches of the U.S. military.
Now, he'll take center stage once again in New York City to honor those who have served and fallen.