The Real Reason Prince Harry Can’t Wear His Military Uniform but Prince Andrew Can While Mourning Queen Elizabeth
Royal family members, Princes Andrew and Edward along with, King Charles III, and Princess Anne walked behind their mother’s casket at a ceremony at St. Giles Cathedral, Scotland, on Sept. 12. Andrew stood out from his siblings, who wore military uniforms for the somber event while he did not. Stripped of his appointments, Andrew can wear his uniform as Queen Elizabeth is memorialized, However, his nephew, Prince Harry, cannot. This is the reason why.
Prince Andrew’s military appointments suspended in 2019
Andrew was named in a lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her and forced the underage young woman to have sex with his friends, including the Duke of York. The prince subsequently denied wrongdoing. However, the allegations against Andrew tarnished his public standing. He stepped back from royal duties in late 2019. His military titles were suspended, and his patronages returned to the queen.
In March 2022, CNN reported Andrew reportedly paid an undisclosed amount to Giuffre, and a U.S. district judge agreed to dismiss her lawsuit against the Duke of York. Since that time, Andrew has not worn an official military uniform.
As Queen Elizabeth lies in state, Prince Andrew can wear his uniform while Prince Harry cannot
As a non-working member of the family, Prince Andrew will not wear uniform to above events. However, “as a special mark of respect”, a royal source says he will at the final vigil in Westminster Hall. The Palace have yet to say whether this exception also applies to Prince Harry.
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) September 12, 2022
According to The Sun, the body of Queen Elizabeth will travel from Scotland to the United Kingdom, where she will lie in state. Mourners will be able to pay their respects to the late monarch.
The Duke of York will wear his armed forces uniform at a final vigil “as a special mark of respect” for his mother. However, the former Vice Admiral, who served 22 years in the royal navy, cannot wear it at any other events. He also cannot salute.
The queen’s three other children wore military dress at the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Per People Magazine, the trio continues to honor the queen by wearing their military uniforms at her procession, prayer service, vigil, and state funeral.
Prince Harry served in the British Army for a decade. He cannot wear his military uniform at Queen Elizabeth’s service. He lost his three military titles when he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their roles as senior royals in March 2020. Therefore as a non-working royal, he cannot wear military dress noted royal correspondent Omid Scobie in a tweet.
The body of Queen Elizabeth will lie in state at Westminster Hall ahead of her funeral
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Queen Elizabeth’s body will be transported from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in a public procession. A gun carriage carries her coffin, accompanied by a military parade and members of the royal family.
The queen’s coffin will lie atop a platform with the Imperial State Crown, orb, and scepter. Members of the royal family are expected to pay their respects at a short service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Subsequently the hall will be opened to the public for four full days of viewing as the queen lies in state. The late monarch’s coffin travels to Westminster Abbey, on Sept. 19, and a state funeral honors the legacy of the longest ruling monarch in the United Kingdom.
