In post-war central Liverpool, stories about “the war” were part of everyday life. Almost everyone I knew had lost a relative or knew someone who never returned home.
The May Blitz of 1941 cast a long shadow over the city. In our Anfield home, gas masks remained hanging from nails on the cellar wall – just in case.
Remembrance Sunday is a moment when the nation comes together to grieve and honour the fallen. As Culture Secretary, I considered it the greatest privilege of my political career to host the ceremony at the Cenotaph.
This year’s service, like those before it, unfolded with extraordinary precision. Some 10,000 Armed Forces veterans took part in the procession, watched by the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Yet the event that stayed with me was a far smaller and less formal occasion some 70 miles away: Prince Harry’s unexpected visit to a local Remembrance service in the Northamptonshire market town of Brackley.
That was a striking contrast with last year, when Harry and Meghan faced criticism for attending a Kardashian party in Los Angeles on the same evening that the Royal Family gathered for the moving Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
On Sunday, Harry appeared to arrive alone. Wearing a suit and tie rather than military dress, he displayed a poppy and his own service medals on his coat before standing at the back of the crowd throughout the 45-minute ceremony.
He had come to pay his respects and, undoubtedly, to remember comrades lost during his ten years in the Armed Forces, including two tours of Afghanistan. His dedication to veterans has never been seriously questioned, particularly given the success of the Invictus Games, which he co-founded.
Prince Harry made an unexpected appearance at a Remembrance service in Brackley, Northamptonshire
Watching footage of the visit online, I detected an initial apprehension in his expression. Perhaps he was unsure how he would be welcomed. He need not have worried. Residents greeted him warmly, and his relief was unmistakable as he relaxed, chatted freely and appeared entirely at ease among the small crowd.
Was this the Harry so many of us once knew and now miss? The great leveller who could talk to anyone about almost anything – rather than the figure seen in recent years, weighed down by resentment, legal disputes and an enduring sense of grievance.
There are moments in life when words cannot be withdrawn, forgiven or simply left behind. Harry’s score-settling memoir Spare, followed by the deeply uncomfortable interview he and Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey, cost him any realistic claim to membership of The Firm. The King has made the position clear: the Sussexes are private citizens, with no route back as working members of the Royal Family.
I have been a determined critic of the couple and remain one. But Harry’s appearance in Brackley offered a glimpse of a different kind of role – one that neither the King nor William can perform in quite the same way because of their positions as monarch and heir.
Harry has an instinctive ability to connect with people. He is at his most natural among soldiers, veterans, older people and children. Could he create a role serving the public interest and enhancing the reputation of the Royal Family without ever appearing to challenge the working Royals? Affection for Harry still exists and, I would argue, will endure among the millions who loved his mother Diana and remember the sight of him, aged 12, walking behind her coffin.
When he was a young man caught up in one of his many controversies, I was among the first to defend him. I saw qualities in him and believed he could make a valuable contribution to national life.
Sunday brought that possibility back into focus. If he can set aside the bitterness and rediscover his smile, a happier Harry could once again win over the British public – and become the People’s Prince.
NEXT UP: Christopher Battaglia Death And Obituary: Family Mourns – NewsFinale
The Nvidia scandal feels depressingly familiar
What was Jensen Huang thinking?
The founder, chief executive and president of American technology giant Nvidia has built one of the world’s most successful companies. He is widely regarded as a relentless perfectionist and a demanding boss who expects nothing short of total commitment from his staff.
Now, however, he is at the heart of one of Silicon Valley’s most damaging scandals after acknowledging an affair with Alice Huang, who is suspected of being a Chinese spy.
On Sunday, he publicly apologised to his wife, Lori, and their two children, both of whom work for Nvidia. But that is not what is preoccupying the technology industry.
The urgent question for investors and executives is whether commercially sensitive information was passed to Ms Huang as the company’s share price continues to fall.
It is a sadly familiar pattern in business, Westminster and public life more broadly. Powerful men, convinced that status, wealth and influence place them beyond consequences, gamble everything for sex. The damage to those around them appears to matter little.
Huang may be celebrated as an exceptional businessman. As a human being, the verdict is rather less flattering.
Gordon Ramsay shared this shirtless photograph online while celebrating his 60th birthday
Gordon Ramsay proves that 60 can be seriously fit
Gordon Ramsay marked his 60th birthday by sharing a shirtless photograph in which he looked leaner and fitter than he did at 40.
The traditional symbols of turning 60 – a sports car, a hairpiece and a questionable new wardrobe – have given way to calorie tracking and long hours in the gym.
Ramsay certainly has motivation. His closest friend is David Beckham, and nobody could argue that Beckham’s physique lacks appeal.
Maya Jama has revealed that she will leave her role as host of Love Island after nine seasons. Who could blame her? Having won a new audience on Celebrity Traitors and made an intriguing appearance in Netflix’s hit drama The Gentlemen, she appears ready to leave downmarket reality television behind and pursue bigger opportunities. Let’s hope the gamble delivers.
My personal Remembrance reflection
Remembrance Sunday has passed for another year, but November 11 remains a day of solemn reflection for many families, including mine.
At 11am tomorrow, during the two-minute silence, my family will remember my great-uncle, who died in 1918, as well as my late husband’s grandfather, who was killed at the Hindenburg Line that same year.
They shall not grow old…