After reports circulated saying that, as was the case for his grandfather Prince Philip's funeral, Prince Harry is unable to wear a military uniform for the Queen's funeral (sparking very mixed reactions), it appears a "u-turn" – of sorts – has been made.
A new statement issued to the press says that Prince Harry will now be able to wear his Blues and Royals uniform as he joins his brother, Prince William, and their six cousins in remembering the late Queen. However, this will be as they stand vigil around Her Majesty's coffin in Westminster this Saturday, rather than at the actual funeral (on Monday 19 September).
This is said to be a change from the original plans and comes after Prince Harry's spokesperson urged the press and the public not to fixate on what he was wearing, but rather to keep the focus on his grandmother and her memory.
Via a Sussex spokesperson, a previous statement from Harry said: "[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother. 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".
Discussing the new news on Twitter, royal reporter Omid Scobie, who is believed to have a good relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, shared: "In a dramatic u-turn, palace officials have informed Prince Harry that he CAN wear his military uniform at a final vigil. On Saturday evening, Harry will join seven other grandchildren at Westminster Hall to stand in silence for 15 minutes by the Queen's coffin."
Scobie then added, "The reversal—first reported by The Mirror—follows Harry's statement saying his 'military service is not determined by the uniform he wears', but it is understood the Palace caved to public sentiment after thousands complained about the decision to ban him and not Prince Andrew."
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Although Prince Harry is a military veteran, having served for ten years, even touring the likes of Afghanistan, the reason he is still (likely) not permitted to wear a uniform at the Queen's funeral next Monday is that after stepping down from his role as a senior working royal, he was stripped of any current military titles.
Once you are no longer in active military service, a blanket rule states that all former members of the British armed forces are then forbidden from wearing military dress, as by that point they're deemed to be civilians. It is, however, acceptable to wear your medals – something Prince Harry did, along with a black suit, during Wednesday's mourning procession for the Queen.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
