The shamed brother of King Charles III, Prince Andrew, is prohibited from wearing his military uniform throughout the time of mourning for their late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with the exception of the last vigil for Britain’s longest-serving monarch in Westminster Hall.
As a non-working member of the Royal Family, the disgraced Duke of York – who was suddenly stripped of his HRH title by the Queen and banished from the public eye in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal – will not be in uniform for the majority of this week’s ceremonial engagements.
However, according to sources, Andrew, a veteran of the Falklands War, would only be permitted to wear his uniform as a sign of respect for Elizabeth II at the final vigil in Westminster Hall.
Prince Harry is expected to be present at five ceremonial events, including tonight’s Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, the procession to Westminster Hall and service of prayer and reflection, the Vigil at Westminster Hall, the state funeral at Westminster Abbey, and the Committal Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, but it is unknown whether he will be wearing military uniform.
Her Majesty also stripped the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal titles when they abruptly resigned from frontline royal responsibilities two years ago. The subsequent Megxit crisis, in which the couple made a number of complaints against The Firm, including unproven claims of racism against Meghan Markle and her unborn son Archie, triggered a civil war in the House of Windsor and drove the monarchy into one of its severest crises in history.