Prince William and Prince Harry accompanied their cousins in a solemn vigil at Queen Elizabeth’s lying-in-state on Saturday. A royal source revealed that William, 40, and Harry, 38, stand opposite sides of the Late Monarch’s coffin at Westminster Hall and be dressed in military uniforms “at the King’s request.”
King Charles III has now temporarily eased the earlier announcement that Harry, who spent two tours of duty in Afghanistan during his ten-year military career, would not be wearing a uniform during the period of grief. The future king of England, William, and Harry both have military experience.
What Between Prince Harry and Prince William As They Kept Watch over Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin
However, Harry was initially disallowed to attend events in uniform; he gave up his honorary military titles when he retired from the throne in 2020. During the solemn transfer of the late Queen’s casket from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday, Princes Harry and Andrew dressed in mourning suits.
While the two brothers wore medals on their jackets to show their support for the military, Prince Andrew had included a medal for his role as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War in 1982. The Duke of York served in the Royal Navy for 22 years. A representative for Prince Harry clarified that “His decade of military duty is not dictated by the uniform he wears.”
The palace source said that during the 15-minute vigil, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, and Prince William would stand at the head of Her Majesty’s coffin. Harry will be positioned next to Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at the base of the casket. Viscount Severn and their other cousin, Lady Louise Windsor, will stand in the middle of the casket.
The vigil will hold after the “Princes’ Vigil” of King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Andrew has also been allowed to wear a uniform at that vigil despite not being a working member of the royal family. According to a royal insider, “the grandchildren, at the King’s invitation, are keen to pay their respects — just as their parents are doing the evening before.” The Queen made her final trip from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday after passing away in Scotland on September 8 at 96.
