Meghan Markle shares tribute to veterans who have ‘served, sacrificed, and continue to serve’ on Remembrance Day – after not wearing a poppy over the commemorative weekend

Meghan Markle paid tribute to veterans with a heartfelt social media post, just days after she was criticized for not wearing a poppy while attending Kris Jenner’s lavish 70th birthday bash over Remembrance weekend.

The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a famous clip of Prince Harry running to his helicopter in military uniform mid-interview during his tour in Afghanistan in 2013.

Alongside the images, Meghan wrote: ‘As my husband says, ‘I once served.’ ‘I always serve.’ Thank you to everyone who has served, sacrificed, and continues to serve. We honor you on Veterans Day. And every day.”

The post also included a touching photo of Harry’s recent visit to Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital Veterans Center last week, where he met former servicemen and women.

But her message comes after reports that Jenner chose not to wear a poppy to her Bond-themed party at Jeff Bezos’ £165million mansion in Los Angeles at the weekend.

Sources told the Daily Mail this was because, unlike in Commonwealth countries, the poppy is ‘not widely available in America’.

Meghan attended the lavish James Bond-themed bash held at Jeff Bezos’ $165 million mansion on Memorial weekend, and the commemorative symbol was noticeably missing from her eye-catching outfit.

Harry, meanwhile, had one pinned on his tuxedo, which he obtained by donating to charity during his recent visit to Canada, where he met some of the country’s oldest veterans.

The Duke of Sussex speaks with veteran Ossie Reece at the Sunnybrook Veterans Center in Toronto, Canada

The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a famous clip of Prince Harry running to his helicopter in military uniform mid-interview during his 2013 tour of Afghanistan.

The 44-year-old mother-of-two was previously photographed wearing a poppy at the Remembrance ceremony with her veteran husband Harry, who served two Army tours in Afghanistan.

Last year, the Sussexes both wore poppies on their lapels as they released a joint video about online violence against children.

The Duchess wore a poppy brooch while visiting United States Navy SEALs in San Diego with Harry in 2023.

People around the world can buy poppies from the Royal British Legion website, but they must pay £28 in postage to have the poppies sent to Montecito.

Meanwhile, royal writer Tom Bower told the Daily Mail that getting an invite to Jenner’s birthday party would be a ‘huge plus’ for Meghan.

But he said: “It is remarkable that Harry cannot fake the rictus smile that actress Meghan always displays for the cameras.”

He told the Daily Mail: ‘He seems fed up with parading around at a sporting event one day and a celebrity party the next.

‘Obviously, he’s now worried about what kind of revenge his brother might one day take against him and his ambitious wife.’

Meghan wore the five-petal poppy traditionally worn by royals during her 2024 video message.

She had a poppy pinned to her outfit while attending The New York Times DealBook Online summit in New York City in 2021.

Photographer Calla Kessler posted a photo on social media of Meghan wearing a poppy and said she asked why she was wearing it.

On Instagram, she shared the famous interview clip of the Duke of Sussex, in military gear, making a dramatic dash for a helicopter amid television in Afghanistan in 2013. Meghan was photographed last month.

Last week Prince Harry penned a Remembrance Day essay on ‘joke’ and ‘bravery’ about being proud to be British. Harry photographed attending the Invictus Games in spring 2024

‘I asked him about the poppy. “This is for Remembrance Day to honor members of the armed forces,” he said.

Last week Prince Harry penned a Remembrance Day essay on ‘joke’ and ‘bravery’ about being proud to be British.

The Duke of Sussex expressed pride in the ‘patient spirit’ of ‘us Brits’ for self-deprecation and humour, and spoke of how the UK ‘will always be the country I proudly served’ despite leaving for the US in 2020.

He said ‘the goofing around, the clubhouse, the bar, the stands’ are what make us British’ and ‘I love it’.

The royal, who now lives 3,500 miles away in Montecito with Meghan and their two children, paid tribute to Britain ahead of Remembrance Day.

He spoke of the privilege of serving alongside soldiers from across the UK but warned how easy it was for veterans to be forgotten ‘once their uniforms are taken off’.

Harry urged people to remember ‘the living, not just the fallen’ who bore the ‘weight of war’ and urged them to knock on veterans’ doors and ‘join them for a cup of coffee’ and hear their stories and ‘remind them that their service still matters’.

Bond, Joke, Dare: What It Means to Be British – In a 647-word personal essay written by Prince Harry, the Duke said that although he ‘currently’ lives in the USA, ‘Britain is and always will be the country I have proudly served and fought for.’

He described the commemoration as not ‘just a moment of silence’ but as ‘a call to collective responsibility’.

Harry expressed his concern that this Remembrance Sunday around the world ‘peace feels more fragile than ever for those lucky enough to know it’.

He told how he was ‘impressed’ every year by the strength of the children of fallen military heroes, supported by the Norfolk-based charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, and praised the bravery and camaraderie seen in the Invictus Games competition.

He concluded: ‘The commemoration is not limited to one weekend in November.

‘This is a lifelong commitment to empathy, gratitude and action; To be kinder, more united, and more courageous in protecting what those before us fought to protect.

‘So, as we bow our heads this weekend, let us remember not only the martyrs, but also those who lived, those who still carry the weight of war in their bodies and minds, and the families who carry its memory in their hearts.

‘If you live nearby, knock on their door. If you see them around, shake their hands.’