Prince Andrew & ‘non-working royals’ will not wear uniforms to QEII’s funeral

I still remember the Windsors’ completely self-made catastrophe around Prince Philip’s funeral last year. One of several issues was whether every royal man would have the right to wear a military uniform. Keep in mind, the sole focus was on forcing Prince Harry to NOT wear a dress uniform, and then someone finally realized that it would look bad if they purposefully snubbed Harry, a veteran of war, while allowing Charles, William and Edward to wear military uniforms they didn’t earn. There was also an issue about Prince Andrew and what he would wear, but that just became a sidebar to the Harry issue. At the end of the day, Queen Elizabeth II directed everyone to simply wear suits, which they did. It will be different for QEII’s funeral though. King Charles III’s edict is that only “working royals” will get to wear military uniforms. Unlike the situation for Philip’s funeral, this one seems more focused on ensuring that Andrew will not turn up in a dress uniform.

Andrew will not be wearing uniform at ceremonial events to mark the death of the Queen, sources said, except as a special mark of respect for the Queen at the final vigil in Westminster Hall. Working members of the royal family will wear military uniform when present at five ceremonial events during this period of mourning the Queen. These are the Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral, 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 Windsor.

But as a non-working member of the royal family, Prince Andrew will not wear uniform apart from at the final vigil in Westminster Hall, according to sources.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Duke of Sussex – also a non working royal – will wear military dress.

The Duke of York is expected to wear a morning suit, as he did for Prince Philip’s funeral, when his mother is laid to rest.

While working royals including the King, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex will parade in military uniform at the state funeral and on other occasions in the next week, Andrew will not, apart from the vigil.

[From The Daily Mirror]

Love that the Princess Royal gets to wear her honorary uniform, honestly. Charles, William and Edward have never served in combat, and Edward dropped out of his military service. Harry and Andrew are the only combat veterans in the royal family and they will likely be the only ones banned from wearing uniforms. It is what it is. If anything, I slightly appreciate the fact that this is being framed as mostly about Andrew. For Philip’s funeral, it was framed as the royals doing the most to “punish” Harry and put Harry in his place. (Harry didn’t care and it made the family look incredibly tone-deaf and petty.)

Update: Scobie deleted a tweet, but the information is coming out that Andrew will be allowed to wear his uniform once during the whole gothic funeral stuff while Harry will not be allowed to wear any uniform the entire time.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.

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