Prince Harry wore his army medals to attend a service at St Paul's Cathedral on Thursday morning. The 31-year-old, who left the army in June after a decade of military service, was a guest at the ceremony which marked 75 years of bomb disposal in the British Army.
The service focused on the role of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) throughout the Second World War, as well as during the conflicts of Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. It also offered both serving and retired members of the EOD community the opportunity to deliver their accounts of the conflicts and the role played by the EOD units.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Harry wore his medals for the service at St Paul's Cathedral
Following the service Harry also met members of the bomb disposal community who have suffered life-changing injuries, as well as the families of bomb disposal experts who were killed in service.
The original Royal Engineers bomb disposal unit was officially formed in October 1940, and played an important role in the Second World War – dealing with thousands of unexploded bombs both across the UK and overseas. The unit has since expanded to function across the Armed Forces, and has been an integral part of a number of conflicts including Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry attended the service marking 75 years of bomb disposal in the army
Harry's attendance at the service comes just two days after he made a surprise appearance on a trek with the Walking with the Wounded charity as they embarked on the 60th day of their 1,000 mile hike in Norfolk. It was the second time Harry had joined the group, having previously walked with the six wounded service personnel who have undertaken the challenge in Shrewsbury in September.
While Harry undertakes his own official engagements, other members of the royal family are otherwise engaged with the state visit of China's President Mr Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan. The Queen hosted a state banquet in honour of their visitors, which also marked the first time that the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, had attended a state banquet alongside her husband Prince William.
