Prince Harry meets Chelsea retirees who invaded the beaches of Normandy on D-Day

Prince Harry will meet Chelsea retirees at the Founder's annual parade, while D-Day commemorations will take place in Britain and France.

Dressed in his Blues and Royals uniform, the Duke of Susbad made poppies with some of the veterans – known for their scarlet cloaks and black tricorn hats – before a parade outside their residence, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, southwest of London.

On June 6, 1944, six veterans of the landing on Normandy Beach will participate in the parade commemorating the foundation by King Charles II of the Royal Hospital of Chelsea in 1681.

Harry is there without his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Susbad, who gave birth to their little boy Archie a month ago and who is on maternity leave for royal duties.

During the visit, the Duke was moody and joking with the elderly military and when he asked a group "who is your favorite?" By gesturing to the hospital staff at Chelsea Hospital, they burst out laughing.

He tried to amuse Frank Swift, 90, when the veteran said he was not doing well when Harry asked him about his health.

"I can not walk," said the former Warrant Officer, in a wheelchair, badigned to the Corps of Royal Engineers in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.

Harry lightened the mood and made everyone laugh when he said "but you have a comfortable chair".

Harry, a former army officer, arrived wearing his Blues and Royals frock coat and, like all retirees and guests, wore a sprig of oak leaves in honor of Charles II.

He praised the efforts of the D-Day veterans cared for at the Chelsea Hospital during his speech at the ceremony.

The Duke said: "On this 75th anniversary of D-Day, I can speak comfortably for everyone when I say that we are honored to be in the presence of six D-Day veterans in Normandy.

"For all those who parade today, I can only say that you constantly remind us of the heavy debt we owe to those who have served our country.

"You embody the ideal home that awaits them in the peace and tranquility of the Royal Hospital, wherever they want it."

The day of the founder is also known as Oak Apple Day, in reference to the oak in which Charles II was hidden to avoid being captured by the parliamentary forces after the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

This annual celebration commemorates this escape and a lasting tribute to the escape of King Stuart, the statue of Charles II in the Figure Court of the Royal Hospital of Chelsea is partly covered with oak leaves.

More than 300 veterans of the army now live at the Royal Hospital, including those who served in Korea, the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and during World War II. World.

Others may not have served in the field, but all understand what it means to be a soldier and the potential sacrifice that entails.

Previously, the hospital was reserved for men, but in 2009, the rules were changed to allow retired women from Chelsea.

Harry's father, Prince Charles, attended a memorial ceremony of the British Royal Legion in Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, alongside Prime Minister Theresa May, earlier Thursday morning.

Earlier this week, Harry met with US President Donald Trump during his state visit.

Trump and his wife Melania had lunch in private with Harry, the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The lunch was held just days after Trump called the Duchess of Susbad "nasty" following comments she made about her during the 2016 presidential election.