It’s really lovely how Prince Harry finds ways to mark Remembrance Day/Veterans Day now that he’s living full time in America. His trash family has made it clear that they will not honor his service, nor will they allow him to show respect to veterans on British soil. So Harry has used his energy to pay respect to the American military, American veterans and Commonwealth militaries. This year, as it turns out, Harry quietly flew to Hawaii so he could visit Pearl Harbour and the USS Arizona Memorial. While it appears that a Navy photographer did snap some pics of Harry at the memorial, nothing has been formally released by the USS Arizona Memorial or the Navy. Instead, we’re going on bystanders’ testimonies and photos. That’s how lowkey Harry was during the visit – he was just interacting with people and taking a tour of the memorial.
Prince Harry made a surprise stop on Veterans Day. The Duke of Sussex, 41, visited Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, last Friday afternoon, touring the USS Arizona Memorial, PEOPLE confirms. A somber site in American history books, the battleship was bombed by Japanese forces in December 1941. Over 1,100 crew members died in the attack, which drove the U.S. to enter World War II.
Harry visited the memorial in a personal capacity. The USS Arizona Memorial on the island of Oahu is a short flight from his home in Montecito, California, where he lives with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1.
“He kind of approached us,” Dan Conover, who was also touring the USS Arizona with his family on Friday, tells PEOPLE. “I moved out of his way because he’s royalty, I figured I’d let him do his thing. He basically gave me a greeting,” Conover, 23, explains. “He was very respectful and courteous and nice. I moved out of his way, and he kind of patted me on the back and said, ‘You’re all good mate.’ It was a simple interaction, but he was very nice and courteous and respectful.”
The eyewitness added that there was an expert “who was basically explaining things to Prince Harry — ‘This is what happened on this day, how the USS Arizona, etc.’ “
I have to admit something weird – as a history buff, I’m kind of ashamed how little I knew about the attack on Pearl Harbour for most of my life! I thought the Japanese bombed Pearl quickly and the whole attack was over in like five or ten minutes. It wasn’t until I finally watched From Here to Eternity in my 30s (!!) that I was like “oh sh-t the attack lasted for HOURS.” It really was crazy and I get why there was no going back after the attack on Pearl (even though FDR was desperate to get America involved in the war for years prior to the attack). Anyway, I would probably love to get a tour of the USS Arizona and I bet Harry was really moved by it too. I feel like he probably did something for the military families still stationed at Pearl and we’ll hear about it later.
prince harry at pearl harbor the arizona memorial, honolulu
fb: debbie bishop conover and cheryl kaminer byrom pic.twitter.com/SP26a49VMT
— Mʏ ғᴀɪᴛʜ ɪs ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴍʏ ғᴇᴀʀ ~ Mᴇɢʜᴀɴ Mᴀʀᴋʟᴇ (@MagaliDMathias) November 13, 2022
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Mcc0092366 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, meeting veterans,Image: 540840634, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- The Queen’s grandchildren, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Zara Tindall, Peter Philips, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, arrive to hold a vigil beside the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it lies in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London.,Image: 723638853, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Ian Vogler / Avalon
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- The Queen’s grandchildren, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Zara Tindall, Peter Philips, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, arrive to hold a vigil beside the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it lies in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London.,Image: 723638853, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Ian Vogler / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives to hold a vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on September 17, 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren mount a family vigil over her coffin lying in state in Westminster Hall. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.,Image: 723678941, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex holds a vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on September 17, 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren mount a family vigil over her coffin lying in state in Westminster Hall. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.,Image: 723679222, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives to hold a vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall on September 17, 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren mount a family vigil over her coffin lying in state in Westminster Hall. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.,Image: 723679392, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019.
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- Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attend the 91st Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in London, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019.
FDR needed a “them” because the Germans looked like and could’ve been “Americans.” So the US was all-too-happy to get the Japanese involved. Now Americans would support a war against an “other.” That’s, at least, another perspective. (Oil and other embargos against the Japanese helped prompt their “aggression.”)
Anyway, Harry is a gem–curious and a lifelong student.
The Japanese were being pretty aggressive in the Pacific and especially against China in the thirties without any prompting from the US. Thus the embargoes.
As Brassy Rebel points out, the Japanese had imperial ambitions at least as ambitious as Hitler’s, if not more so. And FDR was up against a significant fascist movement driven by America First members of Congress, paid Nazi influencers & the Bund (which hosted the 1939 rally of 20,000 at Madison Square Garden). There were even calls to use armed militia to overthrow FDR’s government. So the ugly truth is that it wasn’t just racism (though there was plenty of that). A lot of Americans didn’t just think Germans looked like them–they wanted to emulate Germany’s fascist regime.
And we have the Republicans here in the United States openly supporting fascism and Russia….history repeats itself again.
FDR wanted to get into the war before the Japanese were even involved. He believe in trans Atlantic relations and it was American racists and fascists like Charles Limburgh leading the charge against America getting involved and leading isolationism. Imperial Japan’s goals for the world and Asia were as just as bleak and imperial as any white occupying force along with a desire for genocide in Korea. I don’t want what ahistorical nonsense you are promoting here or the implication that somehow FDR brought it on the US himself? Japan’s WW2 museum still denies their rapes all over Korea and China and alleges that Pearl Harbor was defensive. Imperial Japan is not “the good guys” here. And congress actually did its job then, so FDR could not unilaterally declare war. Congress had to also act. Contrasted with the Bush Administration’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Can’t agree more with you @Blujfly & @Lizzy Bathory.
It makes my blood boil that people can be so blasé (or ignorant) about Imperial Japan’s many atrocious war crimes. They were very imperialistic and believed themselves to be racially superior to other Asian people and that it was their duty/right to subjugate other Asian countries. Their many crimes included the occupation of Korea for more than 30 years. The ”rape on Nanking” where approx. 300.000 people were killed in a span of only a couple of weeks (let alone all those raped, tortured and mutilated) and countless other mass killings. The use of biological warfare, vivisection and human experimentations in Unit 731. The forcing of hundred of thousands (probably millions) into heavy labor and torture/killing of European POW’s and the often forgotten Asian workers (like the Rōmusha). The forcing of more than 200.000 women from all over south east asia into sexual slavery. Actively causing the biggest famine in Indonesia ever, where between 2 and 3 million people died because of it. Not forgetting putting thousands of civilian men, women and children in concentration camps where they had to endure starvation, torture, humiliation, disease and rape, and many of whom perished there.
I have seen firsthand in my own family what that does not only to the ”first-generation” that survived but also the trauma that got passed onto their (grand)children.
Needed a them? I’m really disappointed about this reinventing of what happened before Dec 1941. Japanese Hell ships, Rape of Nanking, comfort women, a divine emperor, (another reason why I find people that swoon over royals utters vapid gross people) death marches, no adherence to the Geneva Conventions, ethnic eradications, enslavement of Asians that weren’t Japanese but FDR and his mean policies towards Japanese Americans that was predicated on Japanese civilians in the Hawaiian islands providing assistance to the Japanese Navy which terrified the US government into overreacting.
Duke of Sussex, 41?
But this was a nice, respectful visit from Harry.
They must have confused his and M’s ages. I had the same thought.
I was able to visit the memorial late 2019 and it was very sobering. Like you, I didn’t know the specifics of Pearl Harbor or realize the extent of how many lives were lost that day. And then to visit the site and see the oil still seeping to the surface and learn there are still bodies that aren’t able to be recovered… it still makes me emotional. I also think about the residents of the island and how terrified they must have felt as well.
I think the plan is to leave the remains in place, which is why the memorial is considered sacred to some. The biggest issue is that fuel leakage, which they’ve been working on for quite some time. They’ve had a lot of fuel leakage issues recently, the NPS, the Navy, and I think the Army, too. All those old fuel storage facilities, plus what was on the Arizona (and other ships), are causing some serious short-term & long-term environmental problems.
yes, and the mothball fleet. altho they’re slowly working on that too.
the military is responsible for so many superfund sites, on land and in the water, and only recently seem to even be attempting to do anything about the messes they’ve created.
Civilians on the island were killed and wounded as well in the attack along with property damages. Some of those civilians were Japanese- American.
Military service is respected by military families. Charles is a jerk and a joke as a father and Commander in Chief of the British Armed Forces.
Funny…now People Magazine has no concept of geography. Its a 5-hour flight from LAX to Honolulu, not a short one as they claim. Prince Harry just didn’t pop over to Hawaii. However, I am so glad he went. It is beautiful, peaceful and heartbreaking all at the same time. It will move you to tears.
That’s what I was going to say. AND, you can’t get there from Montecito. There’s first a flight or drive to LA.
It’s been years since I’ve been to the USS Arizona and the thing I remember most is how haunting it was. And beautiful.
Haunting. That’s the word. It’s a ghost ship. The NPS did a great job in its interpretation of the events of that day.
I live on the west coast north of Cali and traveling to Honolulu is a very full day once you factor in driving to the airport plus checking in plus security checks ect. Six to six and one half hours between loading and unloading as well so 8-9 hours total. It’s an investment in time and no one goes for just a couple of days because of it. Harry made an effort.
That’s as long as it takes to get across the country. LA–>NY. No one I know thinks of that as a short flight.
Okay, I’m sad to say I didn’t realize it was 5h. That’s definitely not short. But as someone from the east coast, it seems like it would be short in comparison just by looking at the map. Which is what the tabloids do. Just look at the map and think short flight without researching it first. But what I would give to just randomly run into Harry or Meghan. How cool that would be,
There’s also a 3-hour time difference between LA and Hawaii. The Pacific Ocean is vast. I’m so glad that Harry went and drew attention to this tragedy. My parents went through this time era and we were so impatient with them and their memories. We had to grow up before we could understand.
Yeah looking back I wish I had asked my grandmother and grandfather (born in 24 and 23 respectively) SO many more questions. But as it was, my grandfather did not really talk about the war. I’m not sure if he would have if we asked more.
My husband’s grandmother was on Saipan during the war and she passed away in 2008, it wasn’t until maybe 2-3 years before that that she told him about the battle and what it was like etc. Again she just did not talk about it really.
I am sure this was a very moving visit for Harry and I can’t imagine him being anything but nice and courteous during this kind of visit. (really any kind of visit, but especially this one.)
Pearl Harbor was the impetus that made my dad enlist in the US Navy at 19. He was in the Pacific theater aboard a destroyer. We have a lot of memorabilia from his time in the war but he never wanted to talk about it. Those who experienced the war in different ways were so stoic about it. I’m glad Harry took the time and effort for his visit and I’m sure he was affected by it.
My mother was born in 1924. She lived in Canada. After 9/11 I asked her if she remembered Pearl Harbour. She said she did. I asked her what she thought. She said, “I thought, Oh goodie, the Americans will come in the war, we will win and Daddy can come home”.
Flight time 5-6 hrs one way so maybe he was pairing the visit with another event? An early book release interview to be kept in hold till Jan? Or checking out real estate? Videography for Netflix content? Knowing how they plan ahead and stay under the radar until they are ready, think we will see an announcement after the first of the year maybe?
“The USS Arizona Memorial on the island of Oahu is a short flight from his home in Montecito, California…”
I mean, I guess it’s a short flight if you consider 5 hours short.
Low key, good work, and rooted in actually giving a damn.
Lol. Right! Is 5 hours low balling it? Generally, it’s at least 6 hours. Now, at least. You gotta love/lol at the short flightness of it all. Like a helicopter ride from Anmer Hall to BP.
Of course Harry was nice, courteous and respectful. That’s who he is.
I admire this young man because of his authenticity. He deeply cares about veterans. Among a long list of shames for his relatives is their disregard for the 10 years this young man spent in service of his country. He was a very young man when he entered the military and spent 10 years of his youth serving. The pettiness coming from that family is beyond what many of us can imagine. The reigns of the current head and his other son will be painful and short. It is difficult to respect or even comprehend how such folks even exist in a modern world. They are cursed, look at that old King, his heir, both their wives and you can see how they are existing in a bubble that will burst sooner rather than later.
I’m glad Harry is learning American history. Hopefully, when he is eligible, he will apply for US citizenship and take the exam. That would surely cause heads to explode across the pond. 🤯
YES!
Good for Harry for going as a private citizen. But I have to say that the Pearl Harbor Memorial is truly a gravesite (and very eerie), so nothing but respect will be tolerated there.
Ditto to @Honey
As always Harry is “An Officer and a Gentleman”.
Harry is every inch an officer, a gentleman, and a statesman. He is the epitome of kingly stature, grace, and influence. The Other Brother pales wretchedly by comparison.
He is the ideal definition of a Prince isn’t he
Not just the Other Brother. Also, the father. For a long time I gave Charles more credit than he deserves. Based on my own perspective of my child doing things better than me(in some ways) and feeling good about it. I really thought that Harry was someone Charles was proud of and not just jealous of. Bring in an equally charismatic individual like Meghan to Harry’s equation and the heir and the future heir were sol. H&M brought an energy to the monarchy that has been dormant since Diana.
There is a reason why Harry was genuinely more popular than his father and brother. He is/was relatable, showed contrition, worked hard, likeable, regal without being a pompous ass and intelligent.
I have been to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona memorial. It is heart wrenching and spooky and even very peaceful even with traffic from Honolulu highway not that far away.
You can still smell the jet fuel, you can even see the oil STILL bubbling up after all this time and yes it is a graveyard and at our visit about 20 years ago there were still a few survivors of the Arizona who were going to be buried there with their comrades.
I cried when leaving. I am happy that Harry went and learned about it and paid his respects as one Military veteran to others. A very good person indeed
Awesome!!! Amazing to show this support and learn the history as well, very cool of Harry. I sure do love him w our Duchess. That tour sounds like a very interesting educational and possibly even spiritual experience.
Thank you for always posting photos of Harry in his uniform. He knows the service he gave to his country and needs no uniform to prove it. His trash family cosplays constantly, looking ridiculous, wearing uniforms loaded down with medals they did nothing to earn.
My husband’s grandma lived in Hawaii and we made a visit while she was alive, and included a visit to the memorial on our itinerary. It’s a very special place.
Why is everyone so surprised when Prince Harry acts like a Prince? Oh it’s because we see the behavior of the rest of his family . . .
Exactly! Did they expect him to pee over the side and start a fistfight? He’s not Mike Tindall.
I hope all the Montecito Sussexes are enjoying a nice under-the-radar Hawaiian vacay. Aloha.
In my humble opinion, Prince Harry is more of a man…..than Charles and William combined. Just saying.
Lol, man from a garbage family acts like a decent human being and makes headlines by not being a piece of crap. Not surprised by this story at all but find it funny how the press covers it.