GOSSIP & RUMORS: Prince Harry slammed over ‘hypocrisy’ for honoring late Prince Philip with secret tribute

Prince Harry’s latest gesture of sending a friend to place a wreath in honor of VJ Day heroes on his behalf has received a frosty reception from the royal fold.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, last week paid heartfelt tribute to VJ Day heroes, including his late grandfather, Prince Philip, in a very discreet way during the poignant Aug. 15 service.

While Harry remained in Montecito, Calif., during the Victory over Japan commemorations, he did enlist the help of his close pal to place a letter and a wreath on his behalf.

Despite his best intentions, it is understood that the duke’s olive branch prompted a skeptical reaction from those who were close with the late Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021 at age 99.

“What hypocrisy,” a palace insider told the Daily Mail. “Harry hurt his grandfather deeply during the final year of his life.”

Prince Philip’s death came just four weeks after Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The candid chat, during which the Sussexes left no stone unturned about their time in the palace, was closely followed by a slew of money-making ventures, including a tell-all book, “Spare,” and a Netflix series.

The source noted that working members of the royal family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, did not leave wreaths at the ceremony.

This was because the Prince and Princess of Wales wanted commemorations to be led by King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The palace viewed Harry’s olive branch as “hijacking” the national service of remembrance, the insider added.

The Post has reached out to Buckingham Palace and Harry’s reps for comment.

Harry’s friend, whose name has not been revealed, discreetly placed the items at the Burma Star Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England.

However, the duke specifically asked that it be laid only after the king and queen had exited the remembrance service, which marked 80 years since Japan’s surrender at the end of the Second World War.

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Harry, who has 10 years of military experience under his belt, mentioned his late grandfather in the letter, which was addressed to the “Forgotten Army.”

The “Spare” author stated that their “courage and endurance” were “anything but forgettable.”

“For me, this anniversary carries an added layer of meaning,” the duke wrote. “My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the Pacific campaign.”

“He spoke with quiet humility about those years, but I know how deeply he respected all who stood beside him in that theatre of war,” the Invictus Games founder went on.

“Today, as I think of him, I think also of each of you, of the shared hardships, the bonds forged, and the legacy you leave.”

Harry, who rose to the rank of captain during his time in the military, said he’s “humbled” by the example of the VJ Day heroes, saying he is “proud” and “grateful” for their service and dedication.

The poignant letter was signed “Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex” and featured the duke’s cypher of an H underneath a crown.

The duke’s grandfather was famously onboard the destroyer HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay when Japanese officials signed the surrender on the USS Missouri.