The Real Reason Princes Harry and Andrew are Banned From Wearing Military Uniforms to Queen's Events
There is a good reason why.
Traditionally, male members of the Royal Family wear their military uniforms to events during the mourning period. This includes the 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 service at Westminster Abbey, and the committal service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. However, in recent years, it has become a little less clear who is allowed to wear the honorable attire, due to turmoil in the Royal Family. According to new reports, there are two men of the family whose dress code for the events surrounding Queen Elizabeth's death is questionable: Prince Harry and Prince Andrew.
In 2020, Prince Harry willingly stepped down as a working member of the Royal Family, choosing to leave the United Kingdom and move to the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, and son, Archie. As a result, he gave up many of his rights as a working royal.
Prince Andrew on the other hand, was forced to step down from life as a working royal after his involvement with accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and sexual assault allegations made by Virginia Giuffre.
On Monday, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew will not be wearing a military uniform to any of the events surrounding the funeral and death of his mother, unlike his brothers, King Charles and Prince Edward. However, there is one exception.
Per a palace spokesperson, Andrew, who served in the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War, may wear his uniform during the Queen's final vigil, which will take place at Westminster Hall, "as a special mark of respect."
Harry, on the other hand, who served in the military for a decade, is not allowed to wear his military uniform to any of the events. Instead, he will wear a suit. "That's when you're going to start to see the difference, very publicly, in terms of who is a working royal and who is not," CBS News contributor and royal editor for The Sunday Times Roya Nikkhah told CBS.
Nikkhah added that the decision is likely "painful" for Harry. "This is the first state funeral of a monarch since 1952," she continued. "This is massive. And so he wants to get everything absolutely technically right, and it's only technically right that only working members of the royal family wear a military uniform."
