Prince Harry ‘saddened’ not to wear military uniform to Queen’s funeral
Prince Harry will be “saddened” if he cannot wear his military uniform to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, royal sources tell Page Six exclusively.
The Duke of Sussex was stripped of his military titles when he quit royal life in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle.
The rest of the men in his family will wear full uniform to the monarch’s funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19 — apart from disgraced Prince Andrew, we have confirmed.
However, the palace announced that Andrew — who was forced to quit public life in 2019 and paid out millions of dollars to his sexual abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre — will be allowed to wear his military uniform on Monday “as a special mark of respect for Her Majesty” while standing vigil at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where members of the royal family, including King Charles III, will stand beside the coffin in a tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
Additionally, the palace said working members of the family will wear their uniforms at the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Giles’ Cathedral, the procession to and vigil at Westminster Hall and the state funeral service and committal service.
None of the grandchildren will be standing vigil for the Queen, who died at age 96 last Thursday, we’re told.
One royal source said, “I’m sure Harry will be saddened not to wear his military uniform to the Queen’s funeral.”
None of the Queen’s children or grandkids wore their military uniforms at her husband Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.
The decision had been made to avoid any embarrassment that could overshadow the ceremony.
The break in tradition saw the men wearing morning coats and medals as they walked behind the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin to the service that took place at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England.
Harry, 37, is a war veteran who has seen active service on the front line in Afghanistan, where he fired on the Taliban from an Apache helicopter.
At Philip’s funeral, Harry was photographed wearing three medals on his chest plus the neck order and star for his Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order honor, given by the Queen in 2015.
The last time he was seen in uniform was at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall in London on March 7, 2020, just before he moved to the US.
Among his medals was the one he received for his tour of duty in Afghanistan as well as medals for the Queen’s gold and diamond jubilees.
Harry lost three honorary military titles when he quit the UK: captain general of the Royal Marines, honorary air commandant of RAF Honington and commodore-in-chief small ships and diving.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of the royal family,” the palace said in a statement at the time.
“Following conversations with The Duke [of Edinburgh], The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.
“The honorary military appointments and royal patronages held by the Duke and Duchess [of Sussex] will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of the royal family.”
Harry and Markle, 41, reunited with Prince William, now the Prince of Wales, and his wife, Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, on Saturday outside Windsor Castle to look at floral tributes and speak to mourners after William reached out to Harry at the eleventh hour.
The brothers also united to provide the ink pot for their father, King Charles III, for the moment he signed the documents to proclaim him monarch on Saturday.
