Harry says he's 'proud of serving Queen and country' in first public appearance with Meghan in UK since Megxit
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have returned to the UK from Canada for their final royal duties since stepping down as senior royal members in January. And on March 5, the couple attended their first joint engagement together in the UK post-Megxit at the Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House in London.
Addressing the gathering, Harry made it clear that he will always be proud to serve the Queen and his homeland even after Megxit.
“Meghan and I are so happy to be back here with you, to celebrate each and every one of you for your achievements, your service and your resilience,” Harry said. “For some, the military community represents a brotherhood or sisterhood that no other organization can provide, and for others, it’s a way of life which you never want to leave. For a lot of us, it’s both.”
Despite various rumors floating around about Harry's seeming loss of love for his own family — especially after the couple's official response to being banned from using the word "royal" in any of the future brand names appeared to "insult" the Queen — on Thursday he made it clear during his speech that none of the gossips are true and that he did not bear any grudges toward the royals or his country.
“Being able to serve Queen and Country is something we all are rightly proud of, and it never leaves us,” he said. “Once served, always serving!”
The father-of-one was also sure to thank all those who supported him even after he announced his decision to quit as a senior royal member, which also meant his departure from the military. “A lot of you tonight have told me you have my back, well, I’m also here to tell you, I’ve always got yours,” he said.
The award ceremony honored the achievements of veterans who had to hang up their uniforms after being injured serving their country and since turned to various kinds of sporting and adventure challenges over the course of the year as a form of rehabilitation.
Ahead of the Endeavour Fund Awards, Harry met up with his grandmother to have a heart-to-heart talk with the British monarch.
“The last thing Elizabeth wants is for Harry to feel estranged from his family and she made her feelings clear about this in the meeting,” a source told Us Weekly about the March 1 reunion. Another insider revealed that the prince “feels terrible about hurting his grandmother, whom he adores."
