As Queen Elizabeth II’s casket was loaded into a hearse, the royal family said good-bye to her. Prince HarryNotably, he did not join in the salute.
Following the queen’s Monday, September 19, state funeral at Westminster Abbey, the 38-year-old Duke of Sussex walked alongside Prince WilliamAnd King Charles IIIThey marched behind her casket to Wellington Arch, London.
As British troops lifted the late sovereign’s coffin into the waiting car, the 73-year-old king offered a subtle salute to his mother. The Prince of Wales, 40 years old, was also seen saluting his grandmother as he drove her to Windsor Castle for the committal service.
Prince Harry
While both Charles and William — who wore ceremonial military suits on Monday — paid tribute to the queen’s former status as their commander in chief, Harry notably kept his hands by his side. The California resident did not wear a uniform, but instead wore a morning suit.
Harry stepped back from his role as a senior royal in 2020 — alongside wife Meghan Markle — which meant he had been stripped of his ceremonial military titles. Since the BetterUp CIO did not hold such titles, he was forbidden from wearing such garb or offering a salute.
Buckingham Palace granted Harry the exception of wearing a military uniform during a Saturday, Sept 17, vigil. He was allowed to do so alongside his older brother, his cousins, and his cousins. William and Harry both wore uniforms when they stood guard at Westminster Hall’s coffin. Their cousins — Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise Windsor, Viscount James, Zara TindallAnd Peter Phillips — also presided during the moment of silence.
Harry was previously unable to wear his uniform to the queen’s Westminster Hall procession on Wednesday, September 14, instead opting for a morning suit like Phillips, 44, and uncle Prince Andrew. (While Princess Anne’s son is not a working royal, Andrew was stripped of his HRH titles in January after being accused of sexual misconduct before it was settled out of court.) Harry did not salute his grandmother during the Wednesday procession.
While the Archewell cofounder — who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan — had come to terms with not wearing a military uniform to Elizabeth’s funeral, he was focused on honoring his grandmother’s legacy as they had a special bond.
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my commander in chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” Harry wrote in a statement earlier this month, referring to son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 15 months. “I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. We already miss you deeply, not only in our lives, but all over the globe. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III.”
