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Prince Harry WILL wear military uniform as he honours late Queen before funeral


harry uniform
Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
Los Angeles correspondentLos Angeles
September 15, 2022
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In a change from original plans, Prince Harry will wear his military uniform at an expected vigil to honour the Queen’s memory.

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At Wednesday’s procession, his brother Prince William wore military uniform while Harry was requested to wear a black suit, although he did wear his medals. He will however now appear in his uniform alongside his brother before the Queen’s funeral on Monday. 

WATCH: King Charles, William, Harry, Anne, Edward, Philip walk behind Queen Elizabeth's coffin

HELLO! understands 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.

He will now wear his Blues and Royals uniform when he is reportedly set to join his cousins on 17 September to honor their late grandmother's memory at Westminster Hall.

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Harry is expected to be joined in the vigil by his brother Prince William, and cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, and Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.

Despite being a former Army officer Harry has been in civilian dress for official events, including walking behind his grandmother’s coffin on Wednesday 14 September when it was carried to Westminster Hall to lie in state.

royal family

The Prince joined his family in the procession

An exception has also been made for the Duke of York, who is no longer a working royal but will wear his military uniform as a “special mark of respect” for the Queen when he stands guard around her coffin during a vigil with his siblings on the evening of Friday 16 September.

On Monday, Harry wrote of his special memories of the Queen attending his passing-out parade in 2006 when he became an officer in the British Army.

He told of his “first meeting” with his grandmother as “my Commander-in-Chief”, and is believed to have been referring to the occasion when she made him grin and blush when she reviewed the cadets.

prince harry meghan markle hold hands

Meghan comforted her husband at the procession

His wife the Duchess of Sussex is with him in the UK, and they are currently staying at their British home, Frogmore Cottage on the royal Windsor estate. It's not known whether their children Archie and Lilibet are being cared for at their Montecito home in California, possibly by Meghan's mother, or if the children are in the UK with their parents.

HELLO!'s royal correspondent, Emily Nash, said: "I don't think we're going to see the Sussex children, I'd be very surprised, given their young age it's not really an appropriate moment for them to be in public. Nothing is being said about whether Archie and Lili are coming to join their parents and that's for very obvious reasons of security, among others.

"But I would not imagine, given their very young ages, that they would be involved in any ceremonial aspects."

the queen

The Queen died at the age of 96

The monarch passed away at her Scottish residence of Balmoral on 8 September, with King Charles and Princess Anne by her side. On Monday, her coffin was moved to St Giles' Cathedral, where it lay in rest until; Tuesday when it was transported back to Buckingham Palace. In a moving procession on Wednesday, she was moved to Westminster Hall, where she now lies in state.

Her state funeral will take place on 19 September.

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