King Charles III showed some unmasked emotion on Saturday when unveiling new statues of his late parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The king was at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in London, England at an event meant to honor fallen soldiers who protected the U.K. While there, he unveiled bronze statues of his parents in a moment that nearly broke his composure.
King Charles spoke at the festival of remembrance at Royal Albert Hall, where the new bronze statues of Queen Elizabeth and her husband have been installed. Photos from the event show King Charles pursing his lips as if holding back tears, and a report by Entertainment Tonight described him as “visibly emotional.” The king’s father Prince Philip passed away in April 2021 at the age of 99, while Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96. Charles then ascended the throne at the age of 73, and he has big shoes to fill.
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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were dedicated to honoring veterans during her reign, which makes sense since the two endured World War II during their formative young adulthood. They attended many Remembrance Day ceremonies like this one as queen and consort. By tradition, the king and his siblings also served in the British military as did his heir Prince William and his son Prince Harry. Both King Charles and Prince William wore their formal military attire to Saturday’s event.
Prince Harry was not in attendance this weekend, nor was his wife Meghan Markle. However, Prince Harry has shown a particular interest in veterans’ issues since his military service in Afghanistan. He has discussed mental health more intimately than any other member of the royal family, and has created the Invictus Games – a sporting event for wounded veterans to compete with each other. The Netflix original series Heart of Invictus premiered this summer, highlighting his work.
While family is enough to make the king emotional, he has yet to reconcile with Prince Harry since his departure from the U.K. According to ET, the Sussexes did not even receive an invitation to the king’s 75th birthday celebration. However, British newspapers gave a conflicting account, saying that Prince Harry and Markle had snubbed the event. Either way, there’s no telling when Prince Harry will be back on that side of the Atlantic and see the new bronze statues of his grandparents.
