Prince Harry has always had a soft spot for Australia and his compassion for his friends Down Under was on display yesterday, as he nearly broke down at a service to commemorate Anzac Day.
The redheaded royal attended a dawn service at London’s Wellington Arch Cenotaph on behalf of his grandmother the Queen, who turned 90 last week.
As thousands of Australians and New Zealanders looked on, Harry laid a wreath on the cenotaph before standing back to pay his respects.
Harry was visibly moved by the service and at times appeared close to tears as he heard tales of the soldiers’ bravery in the face of extreme danger.
Harry, who has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, has devoted his life to helping veterans; especially those wounded defending their countries.
Australian High Commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer, also attended the service, and gave a moving speech about the sacrifices Australian and New Zealand soldiers made on that fateful day.
“When we reflect on Anzac Day we imagine the Gallipoli landings, what it must have been like, at dawn on the water, in sight of that rugged shoreline – and a collectively held breath, a leaden silence about to be broken,” he said.
“We consider the enthusiasm, the courage, and the heroism of the Anzac troops – ordinary men fighting for God, King and empire, for their mates, for adventure, for a world without war.”
Anzac Day has been celebrated in the UK every year since 1916, when King George V attended a service at Westminster Abbey.
Services in London are now extremely popular with the expat community and draw huge crowds, often in excess of 10,000 people.
Anzac Day commemorates the disastrous Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing at Gallipoli at dawn on April 25, 1915.
