Prince Harry met reserve soldiers as he kicked off his pseudo–royal trip to Canada – hours after claims he was trying to upstage William’s Earthshot Prize tour in Brazil.
The Duke of Sussex denied deliberately trying to overshadow his older brother through taking part in a high–profile tour of his own.
The clash was labelled ‘predictable’ by one royal expert, but Harry’s spokesman knocked back any suggestion his announcement was about sibling rivalry.
On Wednesday the Duke spent time with members of Canada’s Reserve Forces in Toronto, meeting with soldiers from two historic Army Reserve units.
The visits were made to highlight the important role Reserve Forces play in Canada’s military capability.
Harry conversed with soldiers from the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada and the Royal Regiment of Canada.
The Queen’s Own Rifles, which was founded in 1860, is Canada’s oldest continuously serving infantry regiment.
In a previous statement Harry’s team blamed the timing of his trip on the fact he is ‘not afforded the same level of security and protection as other working members of the Royal Family’.
Prince Harry spent time with members of Canada’s Reserve Forces during his visit to Toronto
The visits were made to highlight the important role Reserve Forces play in Canada’s military capability
The Duke on the water as he met with soldiers from two historic Army Reserve units on Wednesday
Harry conversed with soldiers from the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada and the Royal Regiment of Canada
Prince Harry on the water during his trip to Canada this week, at the same time Prince William is in Brazil
‘It means therefore, that the period of time in which we can release details of events is much more truncated than it is for His Majesty the King or the Prince of Wales’, his spokesman added.
The Prince of Wales landed in Rio de Janeiro on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of his environmental award, the Earthshot Prize.
But as William began his first engagement at Sugarloaf Mountain, his younger brother’s office in California announced a trip to Canada this week ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
The Duke of Sussex’s visit to Toronto to meet with veterans, members of the armed forces community and military charities directly clashes with William’s trip to South America.
The Brazil visit marks a pivotal and personally important moment for the heir to the throne – who jetted out of the UK after he and his father stripped his uncle Andrew of all his titles and his Windsor home.
Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said the timing of Harry’s announcement was ‘inevitable if not predictable.’
But a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex has hit back, declaring: ‘The events were planned nearly a year ago.
Prince William listens at the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly in Pier Maua during day three of his visit to Brazil on Wednesday
Prince William and Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeir, arrive on a tram outside The Earthshot Prize Summit Impact Assembly
‘The date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry.
‘The period of Remembrancetide traditionally extends from the 1–11 November and has done since 1918, over 100 years. He can’t choose to move those dates.’
The spokesman added: ‘We are always guided – as to when we can announce trips like this, by the advice given to us by his private security advisers and the event’s security team.
‘This visit, months in the planning, marks a return to a city that has a special place in the Duke’s heart, having played host to the Invictus Games back in 2017.’
The British royal household was informed of Harry’s Canada plans in advance – a sign that communications between the King and his youngest son are open again.
But Harry and William, however, are understood not to be talking.
