In an interesting development, Prince Harry has revealed plans to visit Canada this week, coinciding with his brother Prince William’s significant Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Brazil. Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is set to travel to Toronto to engage with veterans, members of the armed forces community, and military charities. This announcement came shortly after Prince William began his tour in Rio de Janeiro, marked by a welcome ceremony on the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain. For Prince William, this trip represents a crucial moment, reflecting his deep commitment to environmental issues, as he takes on multiple engagements in South America.

During his stay in Brazil, Prince William is hosting the prestigious Earthshot Prize ceremony in Rio on Wednesday. He will also attend the Cop30 climate change talks in the Amazon, representing his father, King Charles. Despite the long-standing and well-publicized rift between the royal siblings, a spokesperson for Prince Harry emphasized that the Duke’s visit to Canada had been planned for nearly a year. The timing of the announcement, they explained, was influenced by a ‘truncated’ schedule for revealing Harry’s engagements due to security considerations.

The Royal Communications team was informed and consulted regarding Harry’s plans before the public announcement. Prince Harry’s journey is timed to coincide with Remembrancetide, the two-week period leading up to Remembrance Sunday. During his visit, he will attend a luncheon with the military charity True Patriot Love Foundation on Wednesday. Later that evening, he will participate in a private fundraising event with the Halo Trust. This schedule aligns with Prince William’s Earthshot Prize awards, a highlight of his ambitious initiative to promote global environmental sustainability.

The next day, November 6, the Duke will visit the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of the largest veteran care facilities in Canada, and then in the evening, attend the 17th annual True Patriot Love National Tribute Dinner in celebration of military members, veterans and their families. The Duke’s spokesperson said: ‘The events were planned nearly a year ago. ‘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 spokesperson added that the Duke was ‘not afforded the same level of security and protection as other ‘working’ members of the royal family’. They added: ‘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. ‘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.’

They added: ‘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.’ Harry stepped down as a working senior royal in 2020 during Megxit and moved to the US. The Duke, who served in Afghanistan, was invited to Canada by the True Patriot Love Foundation.