Prince Harry triggered mixed reactions over his decision to wear British participation medals while presenting an award to the best American soldier.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, wore a host of medals on his jacket as he named combat medic Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks as Military Times’ Soldier of the Year, including three commemorating his grandmother’s various anniversaries this century.
“Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks, named Soldier of the Year by the Military Times, epitomizes resilience and dedication,” said Michael Reinstein, Chairman of Military Times Foundation.
Some have pointed out that the honouree – Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks – participated in the 2016 Undefeated Games. It’s an international sporting event for wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women founded by Prince Harry. Harry said:
“I first met Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks at the Invictus Games in Orlando 2016, where I presented her with not one, but four gold medals that she’d won in swimming. (…) To me, she epitomises the courage, resilience and determination represented across our service community. And this is not just because of her swimming abilities.”
Royal observers were quick to point out that missing from the prince’s lapels was the coronation medal awarded to him and others who took part in King Charles’ official accession to the throne last May.
Experts believe the absence of this honour may have been a slight against his father. The absence of a coronation medal on Harry’s chest, reported by Newsweek and The Sun, led royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams to suggest that he was deliberately seeking to distance himself from his old life by making the US his permanent home.
The medals also match the ones Harry chose at the coronation. However, critics on social media have now criticised Harry’s decision to wear the medals at all, dubbing them “participation medals.”
Prince Harry was criticised for his decision to wear British Army medals, calling the decision “embarrassing” and the medals looked “ridiculous.” Others defended the Duke of Sussex, noting that one of the medals was awarded to him for his service in Afghanistan. Still others were celebrating the late Queen’s jubilees.
The Coronation Medal features an image of King Charles and Queen Camilla looking away on the obverse and the royal cipher CIIIR (Charles III Rex) on the reverse. Operational Service Medal, which he received for his service in the armed forces of Helmand Province. He also wore three jubilee medals cast in honour of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s golden, diamond and platinum jubilees.
Prince Harry is believed to have worn the medals to show his affection for the army, which played a key role in his youth as a senior member of the royal family when he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and again in 2012. In the end, he was not allowed to attend the May celebrations in uniform after he gave up his royal duties; the privilege is reserved for working members of the family.
