Prince Harry DID feature in Prince Philip's memorial but only in archive footage shown by the BBC - as Prince Philip's ex-protection officer brands his absence amid a security row and family tensions 'pathetic'
- BBC aired A Service of Thanksgiving for HRH Duke of Edinburgh on Tuesday
- Prince Harry described his grandfather as 'unapologetically him' in a tribute
- Duke of Sussex was only senior member of the family not to attend memorial
Prince Harry has been criticisied for missing his grandfather's memorial service today, amid a row over security and strained relations with his relatives.
But despite the family tensions, the Duke of Sussex was included in today's commemorations, after archive footage of Harry speaking about his late grandather was used as part of the BBC's coverage of the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial.
The broadcaster re-used sentimental tributes from the Royal Family to celebrate the life of Prince Philip, before streaming his Service of Thanksgiving live from Westminster Abbey.
The Duke of Sussex, 37, who was the only senior member of the royal family not to attend today, made a surprise appearance during the coverage in a resurfaced clip from the documentary 'A 'Unique Portrait' of Prince Philip and his life'.
Harry was seen praising his grandfather for being 'unapologetically him' in the footage, which first aired in September 2021.
Prince Harry (pictured) made a surprise appearance in the BBC's coverage of Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving
The BBC shared archived footage of members of the Royal Family paying tribute to Prince Philip, before streaming his memorial service live from Westminster Abbey
Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, while sitting against a grey background, Harry shared his respect for Prince Philip.
Harry said: 'What you see is what you got. He was unapologetically him at all times, no matter where he was, no matter who he was speaking to and no matter what he was doing.'
Share this article
The film was originally made to mark the Duke's 100th birthday, but the nation's longest-serving consort died two months before celebrating his centenary.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have faced backlash for not attending the memorial in person.
Prince Harry describes his grandfather as 'unapologetically him' in the clip taken from the documentary 'A 'Unique Portrait' of Prince Philip and his life', released in September 2021
Royal watchers have slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for remaining at their mansion in Montecito, while the rest of the Royal Family gathered for the memorial service
The couple remained at their $14million mansion in Montecito while the rest of the Royal Family, including the Queen despite recent health issues, gathered in London for the monumental event.
Harry is currently in pursuit of legal challenge against the Home Office after being told he would no longer be given the 'same degree' of personal protective security when visiting from the US, despite offering to pay for it himself.
He last returned to the UK eight months ago to unveil the statue of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales in London on July 1 with his brother Prince William.
Royal watchers and social media users have criticized the Duke, who is due to travel to the Netherlands in two weeks' time, for not attending his grandfather's Service of Thanksgiving.
The Home Office told Prince Harry he would no longer be given the 'same degree' of personal protective security when visiting the UK. Pictured: Prince Philip with Meghan and Harry
Richard Griffin, who spent 14 years as a royal protection officer for Prince Philip, slammed Harry for 'not bothering' to attend, describing his absence as 'pathetic'.
'Prince Philip was their grandfather so William has obviously had a great training from him and is going to learn examples from him,' he said.
'I just hope Harry gets some of these things in his mind.
'It [Harry not being here] was a big disappointment for everybody. People were talking about it. Certainly around where I was, people were saying he should have been here.
'All this nonsense about how he couldn’t get protection, as far as I’m concerned that was a pathetic excuse. He should’ve been here to honour his grandfather.
'At the end of the day, if he was that worried about security, he could’ve stuck with his brother and father who have got wonderful security and he would have been more than safe.'
The Queen stood with tears in her eyes as the congregation, which included royals from other nations, joined in singing before the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out to mark the end of the memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh this morning.
