Prince Harry will not wear his military uniform at the state funeral for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth on Monday, nor the ceremonial events leading up to it.
“Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother,” a spokesperson for the duke confirmed to HuffPost in a written statement on Tuesday.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
Prince Andrew, who like Prince Harry is no longer a senior working member of the royal family ― albeit for very different reasons ― is also expected to wear a morning suit for his mother’s funeral engagements.
However, a special exception has been made for Andrew to wear his military uniform for the queen’s final vigil at Westminster Hall, according to sources.
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The Duke of Sussex served in the British Army for over 10 years. He completed two tours in Afghanistan and rose to the rank of major. While still in the military, he founded the Invictus Games in 2014, which are a Paralympic-style multi-sport event for wounded service members.
Harry has routinely spoken about how much his time in the military meant to him, saying it “changed my life forever and for the better.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2020 and confirmed last year that they would not return as working royals. The decision meant that the honorary military appointments and royal patronages held by the two were returned to the queen.
Despite the change, the Sussexes made it clear that they were dedicated to a “life of service” in their new roles.
“We can all live a life of service. Service is universal,” a spokesperson for the couple shared with HuffPost at the time.
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