Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are not wearing their military uniforms to the Queen's burial today. The royals are forbidden by strict tradition from putting on their uniforms, even after 32 years of service.
According to People, only royals that are “working members of royal family who hold military rank” were permitted to wear their uniforms at the funeral. Prince Harry was stripped of his military titles after leaving the royal family and moving to the United States, per The Guardian.
Prince Harry has been given special permission by the King to wear military uniform when attending a vigil at his grandmother's coffin. The Duke of Sussex was stripped of his military titles after giving up life as a working royal and moving to the United States with his wife, Meghan.
However, neither of them will be permitted to wear their military uniforms at the Queen's funeral while other family members will, despite some only having honorary roles in the military. This is due to royal protocal that demands only working royals can wear military get-up at the funeral.
As Hello! magazine points out, Prince Harry isn't allowed to salute because it's “a military custom in which a soldier signals respect to a superior rank.” When he stepped down as a senior member of the royal family , he gave up his military titles and, therefore, isn't permitted to carry out formal greetings—like a ...
While he didn't wear his uniform to the funeral, King Charles III did permit Harry to wear it while standing vigil at his grandmother's coffin for 15 minutes of silence alongside William and their cousins.
Another reason Harry wasn't wearing a military uniform is related to his decision to step away from royal duties two years ago. As such, he was stripped of several honorary military titles, including Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington and Captain-General of the Royal Marines.
The Duke of Sussex will not wear a military uniform or robes at the Coronation, The Telegraph can reveal. Prince Harry, who served for ten years in the Army and did two tours in Afghanistan, has not been permitted to wear military uniform because he is not a working member of the Royal family.
The reason for this once again came down to status: King Charles and Prince William wore their uniforms and Harry wore morning dress, Hanson said, because they are “serving members of the Royal Family and [Harry] The Duke of Sussex is not.”
During Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey, the palace seated Harry and Meghan directly behind Harry's father, King Charles III, and the Queen Consort Camilla. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were among other royal family members, right at the foot of the high altar.
Like many royals, Princess Anne didn't actually serve in the military but does hold a number of honours and titles. The uniform she wears on royal occasions is a Royal Navy ceremonial uniform which represents her role in that division of the army.
Only working royals – which neither Harry nor Andrew are – are permitted to dress in uniform at five ceremonial occasions. One of those took place on Monday at a ceremony at St Giles' Cathedral. A 22-year-old was arrested after shouting abuse at Andrew as the Queen's funeral cortege made its way along the royal mile.
Retired officers and enlisted personnel, who are not on active duty, may wear the uniform, insignia, and qualifications corresponding to the rank or rating indicated on the retired list. a. Retired personnel may wear uniforms at ceremonies or official functions when the dignity of the occasion and good taste dictate.
After Harry stepped away from his Royal Family duties he was also stripped of his honorary military roles. Harry is proud of his military service and referred to the Queen as “my Commander-in-Chief” in a memorial note. He did wear his medals on his suit at the coffin procession.
A social-media user, who pondered Princess Anne's role in the decision, said: “She's carrying out the Queen's wishes. “The Queen stripped both Andrew & Harry of their military appointments, which is why both were in suits for prince Philips funeral.”
Prince Harry served in the Army for ten years, rising to the rank of Captain and undertaking two tours of Afghanistan.
The Prince of Wales wore the RAF No 1 uniform with the Garter Sash with RAF Pilot Wings and the Garter Star Chest Order. He also wore the Gold, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals. William spent seven years in the military, including more than three years as a search and rescue pilot.
In one touching moment, the Duke of Sussex could be seen wiping a few stray tears from his eyes. Before filing out of the hall after the service, Harry and Meghan took each other's hands as they walked, which triggered criticism from some people online who branded the act of affection disrespectful.
It shall not be lawful for any person not serving in Her Majesty's Military Forces to wear without Her Majesty's permission the uniform of any of those forces, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of any such uniform: Provided that this enactment shall not ...
(d) A person who is discharged honorably or under honorable conditions from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force may wear his uniform while going from the place of discharge to his home, within three months after his discharge.
If either person is wearing civilian clothes and you do not recognize the other person as a superior officer, salutes are unnecessary.
Anne is second child and only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. At the Queen's funeral, she was seen in a Royal Navy ceremonial uniform and once again donned a military outfit for the coronation.
Withdrawal of Royal Titles by the Queen
The Duke of York spent 22 years in the Royal Navy. However, he lost his patronage and titles due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, a perpetrator of child abuse. The privilege of wearing a uniform was lost when they left.