Global headlines have been dominated with news about the Queen’s passing this month, but a large portion of them have focussed not on the history-making monarch, but rather on the movements of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose relationship with the family has been strained in recent years.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Harry would not his military uniform to the funeral of his grandmother despite a requirement that all working royals in attendance will wear theirs. That included Harry’s brother Prince William, and the Queen’s children—even Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles and is no longer a working royal due to the backlash surrounding his alleged involvement with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke of York was granted a special exemption as a mark of respect for the Queen.
Of course, one might think that Harry’s “scandals” in the royal family amount to far less significance than that of Prince Andrew’s, yet the Duke of Sussex was originally not granted the same special permission as his controversial uncle.
But on September 15, HELLO! magazine confirmed that Harry has now been given special permission to wear his military uniform for an upcoming vigil on September 17.
“The Prince’s main focus is to honour his grandmother, and the decision to allow him to wear the uniform, despite stepping down as a senior royal, was made without Harry requesting a change. The father-of-two had been prepared to wear whatever the Queen had made plans for,” the publication shared.
Before Harry was granted permission, a source who spoke to Harper’s BAZAAR US said the decision was a blow to the Duke of Sussex, who served in the military for 10 years. Harry even referred to the Queen as his Commander-in-Chief in his touching tribute to the late Monarch.
“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,” he penned this week.
Why isn’t Prince Harry wearing a military uniform at the Queen’s funeral?
While it’s not yet certain if Harry will also wear his military uniform to the Queen’s funeral, we do know that the Prince is happy to abide by whatever rules are in place.
On Tuesday, Harry’s rep released an official statement on behalf of the Duke stating that he would “wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother”, per respected royal reporter, Omid Scobie.
They added of the salacious headline which had circled the royal since the revelation: “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.”
Two days after the Queen’s death, Harry joined Prince William and Princess Kate at Windsor Castle with Meghan Markle, where the previously dubbed “Fab Four” greeted crowds and viewed floral tributes made to the Queen.
While it has been reported that Harry and William’s relationship has become strained over the years, particularly following Harry’s decision to step back from The Firm and move to California in 2020, there are signs that the brothers are repairing their relationship as they reunite for their grandmother.
One of them was the “11th hour olive branch” from William, who actually requested Harry and Meghan join him and Kate shortly before they made the Windsor Castle appearance.
“The Prince of Wales invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and the Princess of Wales earlier. The Prince of Wales thought it was an important show of unity for the Queen at an incredibly difficult time for the family,” a source told The Times.
And there’s no doubt it was—the powerful images and show of support from the family came as a comfort to many who mourned the loss of the 96-year-old.
It’s expected that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Prince and Princess of Wales will reunite publicly several more times in the coming days, most notably at the funeral on September 19.
For more rolling coverage on Queen Elizabeth II’s death, follow the links below:
- Where To Watch Queen Elizabeth II’s Official State Funeral In Australia
- Here’s Why Reporters Changed Into Black Outfits Before Announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s Death
- A Brief History Of Queen Elizabeth II And Her 89 Year Long Royal Clan Of Corgis
- Every Time The Royal Family Have Turned To Queen Elizabeth’s Vintage Wardrobe
- The Surprising Reason The Queen Always Wore Mint Green For Special Occasions
- Will Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Children Be Prince Archie And Princess Lilibet Now?
- The Best (And Most Candid) Photos Of Queen Elizabeth II In Her Youth
- Her Life In Looks: Queen Elizabeth II’s Best Fashion Moments Of All Time
- Everything You Need To Know About King Charles III’s Coronation
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