Prince Harry attended a veterans' gala in Toronto on Thursday evening, where he entertained guests with self-deprecating humour about his receding hairline, just two years after critiquing Prince William's "alarming baldness" in Spare.
At the True Patriot Love National Tribute Dinner, the Duke of Sussex appeared in formal attire with his military decorations, entering alongside former service members to bagpipe accompaniment.
During his address to approximately 500 attendees, he discussed his experiences training in Alberta and fighting alongside Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
The Duke additionally drew laughter when he remarked that stage lighting was reflecting off his thinning crown.
Prince Harry jokes about his own hairline after previously critiquing William’s ‘alarming baldness’
|REUTERS
The event, organised by Nick Booth, who previously worked for both Harry and his brother, celebrates Canadian military personnel, veterans and their relatives.
The charity has been a significant supporter of Harry's Invictus Games initiative.
Prince Harry also addressed the controversy surrounding his choice of headwear at the recent World Series, where he and his wife supported the Los Angeles Dodgers rather than Toronto's Blue Jays.
"I apologise for wearing a Dodgers hat," he told the crowd, before explaining he had been invited to the owner's box and felt obligated to be courteous.
Prince Harry arriving at the True Patriot Love Annual Tribute Dinner in Toronto on November 6 | REUTERSThe Duke revealed another motivation for his cap choice, joking that "when you're missing a lot of hair on top and you're sitting under floodlights, you'll take any hat that's available."
He assured the audience he had supported the Blue Jays through subsequent games.
The joke about his thinning hairline comes two years after Harry wrote about the Prince of Wales’s hair in Spare, writing: "I looked at William, maybe for the first time since we were boys, and observed his alarming baldness."
Earlier that day, Harry had appeared on CTV News sporting a Toronto Blue Jays cap, declaring he would wear it going forward to avoid similar mistakes.
The Duke's Canadian itinerary included a visit to Sunnybrook Hospital's veterans facility in Toronto, where he participated in an art therapy session with elderly former service personnel.
The annual event, organised by the True Patriot Love Foundation, honours Canada's military community and raises funds to support active service members, veterans and their families | REUTERSHe painted poppies on military headgear alongside 101-year-old Jim LaForce, a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran who fought in Normandy during the Second World War.
In a tender moment, Harry was photographed kissing the hand of 91-year-old Villa Shah. He also met centenarian Brenda Reid, who served in an all-female Royal Canadian Navy station during wartime.
The Duke additionally spent time with soldiers from the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and the Royal Regiment of Canada, recognising the Reserve Forces' contributions to the nation's defence capabilities.
His two-day Toronto visit formed part of the commemorations during the fortnight preceding Remembrance Sunday.
The Duke's visit to Canada coincided with Prince William's five-day Brazilian tour to promote his Earthshot Prize initiative.
Prince Harry receives a Toronto Blue Jays hat as he meets with some of Canada's oldest veterans
|REUTERS
Royal observer Victoria Arbiter described the scheduling overlap as "inevitable if not predictable."
Harry's representatives firmly rejected suggestions of intentional timing, stating: "The events were planned nearly a year ago. The date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry."
They explained that security protocols dictate when travel details can be made public, noting the Duke lacks the same protective arrangements as working royals.
The spokesman emphasised that Remembrance commemorations have traditionally spanned from November 11 for over a century.
Buckingham Palace was notified of Harry's Canadian plans beforehand, indicating restored communication channels with the King, though the brothers reportedly remain estranged.