A royal double standard?
Two princes, both stripped of their military titles, but only one will be in uniform at
the Queen's funeral.
Official royal rules and protocols are always a bit confusing for us here in the United
States, but even Americans have noticed that Prince Harry seems to be getting short-shrift
from The Firm in the wake of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II's death.
For one thing, it was reported that his wife, Meghan Markle, was not invited to join the
rest of the royal family at the queen's bedside at Balmoral Castle, according to Entertainment
Tonight, which seems pretty harsh.
The latest royal snub that has Harry's fans and supporters on Twitter up in arms has to
do with how he'll be allowed to dress at the late monarch's funeral.
Of all the royal family members, Prince Harry was the most actively involved in his military
service, which is what inspired him to start the Invictus Games for wounded veterans.
But since he officially quit royal life, he was also stripped of his military titles — so
he won't be allowed to wear his military uniform to the funeral.
However, Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his military titles due to his connection
to Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse, will be allowed to wear his military
uniform at the final vigil for the queen.
Official reports predict that Harry will be "saddened" by this decision, while his supporters
on Twitter are straight up outraged.
One person tweeted angrily:
"Prince Harry has earned his medals.
He served for 10 years, undertaking two tours in Afghanistan.
He now serves those troops across the world with the #InvictusGames.
He deserves to wear his uniform with pride."
"It's very easy to completely forget who I am when I'm in the Army."
The irony of Harry's military service compared with the rest of the family wasn't lost on
much of Twitter.
Another user wrote:
"Prince Harry [is] not allowed to wear [his] military uniform when he is the only one [who]
went to war."
With this latest snub, followers of the royal family were reminded that Prince Harry also
didn't wear his military uniform to his grandfather's funeral, either.
When Prince Philip died at the age of 99 in April 2021, members of the royal family donned
"Morning Coat with medals [and] Day Dress," according to Town & Country.
That meant that everyone simply wore dark suits to the service.
It was a major break in tradition, as royal family members that hold military rank typically
wear uniforms to state events.
Prince Philip didn't officially receive a state funeral as COVID-19 was sweeping the
globe — presenting a major shift in funeral processions.
It was a convenient excuse to some in regards to dress code, as there were questions as
to who would be allowed to wear their military uniform to Prince Philip's service.
After all, Prince Harry had just been stripped of his military titles earlier that year.
There was also great public outrage with the allegations surrounding Prince Andrew, who
holds military rank as well.
It was reported that Buckingham Palace chose the official attire for Prince Philip's funeral
to avoid making any additional waves.
However, before Queen Elizabeth's death, the royal family had already appeared to make
its stance on Prince Harry's lack of titles clear.
Of course, the public has seen Prince Harry continue to be brushed off by Buckingham Palace.
During Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in June, the celebration kicked off with the
Trooping the Color parade to celebrate both the queen's birthday and historic reign.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had both returned to the U.K. again to join the festivities.
However, though the parade was an historic moment, the two did not stand on the balcony
of Buckingham Palace with other members of the royal family.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson shared in a statement at the time:
"[The queen had limited the balcony to] Her Majesty and those members of the Royal Family
who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen."
The prince and his wife were also assigned seating away from King Charles and Prince
William during the Jubilee's national service of Thanksgiving.
According to royal biographer Tom Bower, it was another move authorized by the queen herself.
The Platinum Jubilee was the first time that couple had visited the U.K. together since
they stepped down as working royals.
The decision was reportedly made to avoid the couple's arrival overshadowing the service.
However, with these continual snubs, it seems that Prince Harry and Meghan's relationship
with the royal family is still on ice.