The mourning continues. Prince Harry was not wearing his military uniform when he arrived at Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, appeared somber as he walked in the procession from Westminster Hall to London’s Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19, to pay his respects alongside his royal relatives. While his father, King Charles III, and brother Prince WilliamTheir uniforms were on display.
Harry’s grandmother died at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on September 8 at age 96. In the days leading up to her state funeral — the first held at Westminster Abbey for a reigning monarch since the 18th century — the U.K. entered its official mourning period. Elizabeth’s coffin traveled from Scotland back to London in a lengthy series of events as her eldest son, 73, assumed the throne.
Buckingham Palace announced that funeral preparations were complete. Prince Andrew was granted special permission to wear his military uniform for his late mother’s final vigil as a “mark of respect.” The Duke of York, 62, served more than two decades in the Royal Navy before stepping away from his public duties in 2019 when he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. The lawsuit was settled in court in February, one year after Andrew was stripped from his military titles and royal patronages.
Harry, for his own part, decided to step down from his senior role as a royal and moved to California in 2020 with his wife Meghan Markle. His three honorary military titles — Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington and Commodore-in-Chief of Small Ships and Diving — were lost in the wake of his exit.
Despite Harry’s 10 years in the army, his palace didn’t grant Harry the same permission to wear his uniform to honor his grandmother. The former pilot addressed the decision in a statement via his spokesperson less than one week after Elizabeth’s death.
“[Prince Harry]He will wear a morning dress during events honoring his grandmother. His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” the spokesperson noted.
Harry “has come to terms with not wearing uniform on these occasions” amid his ups and downs with his family, a source exclusively told Us Weekly. “Whilst that’s disappointing in some senses, he’s just grateful to be present and honoring the queen. At the end of the day, it’s only a uniform.”
When the Archewell cofounder joined Charles, 73, William, 40, and other royals behind the queen’s hearse during her procession from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, September 14, neither he nor Andrew wore their official military wear. The medals of the two men were attached to their black suits jackets. Andrew and Harry also didn’t salute the national monument as they made their way towards Westminster Hall, where Elizabeth was laid in state for four more days before her funeral.
Harry and Meghan (41 years old) stood behind William during Wednesday’s 20-minute service. It was performed by Archbishop of Canterbury with the support of the Dean. Princess Kate. As the Sussexes left the chapel, they shared a brief moment of affection, holding each other’s hands as they walked.
After much negotiation, Harry was finally allowed to wear his uniform while he stood vigil at Westminster Hall with his brother on Saturday, September 17. He stood guard alongside William, but eagle-eyed onlookers noticed a difference in the princes’ military garb. While William’s epaulet featured the letters “ER” — the initials of their late grandmother — Harry’s did not.
