Ten years of service. Two tours of duty. A captain in the British Army. So can Harry
wear his military uniform or not? Keep watching to find out about all the drama.
On September 13th, 2022, royal author and reporter Omid Scobie tweeted that
Prince Harry would not be allowed to wear his military uniform at any events pertaining to
Queen Elizabeth's funeral proceedings. The official reason given is that because Harry
stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and reaffirmed that position with the
queen in 2021. Thus, he is a civilian and not entitled to wear the uniform.
Many were confused by the announcement, as Harry served in the British army for years and,
in addition to Prince Andrew, is a rare royal with military experience in an active war. In 2021,
Queen Elizabeth similarly announced that Harry would not wear a uniform
during the funeral proceedings for Prince Philip. However, no one in the family was
allowed to wear a uniform during that time, so the decision wasn't limited to only him.
Since the initial announcement, Buckingham Palace has reversed course ... somewhat. On
September 16th, 2022, the Palace announced that Harry will be wearing a uniform for part of the
proceedings. Here's how the drama surrounding Prince Harry's military uniform has played out.
While military service is a highly prized pursuit in the royal family,
only two of Queen Elizabeth's descendants have served in active war: Prince Andrew
and Prince Harry. As reported by CNN, Harry served in the British army for 10
years. During that time he completed not one but two tours of duty in Afghanistan and was
named captain in 2011. Harry retired from the military in 2015. Following his retirement,
he founded the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sports competition for wounded veterans.
Until Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in early 2020,
he was allowed to wear his military uniform to important royal events and
services and frequently did. Harry even wore his uniform in his 2018 wedding to Meghan.
In April 2022, Harry spoke to People about
his time in the military and how he knew it was time to leave. As he said,
"When I was in the Army, I promised myself I would be out before having a wife and kids, because I
couldn't imagine the heartache of being apart for so long during deployment, the risk of possibly
getting injured and the reality that my family's lives could be changed forever if that happened."
When the general public heard that Prince Harry would be allowed to wear his uniform during the
funeral procession for his grandmother, many people were outraged and confused. In fact,
tension mounted to a point that Harry had to take the uncharacteristic step of issuing a statement
about the decision, imploring the public and those invested in the story to focus on the
long-reigning monarch's death and not him. A spokesperson for Harry announced,
"Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex 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."
At the time of the statement, the official explanation offered for why Harry could not
wear a uniform remained that he and Meghan Markle had once and for all
opted out of royal duties back in 2021. At the time, Buckingham Palace explained,
"The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and
Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty,
before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family."
Prince Harry was not the only royal to follow
behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in a mourning suit. His uncle, Prince Andrew,
was denied the same opportunity to wear his military uniform. However,
it was announced that Andrew would be allowed to wear his uniform while standing vigil for
his mother alongside his siblings, something that Harry was initially denied, according to E! News.
Like Harry, Andrew is also no longer a working royal. However,
unlike Harry who chose to step down from his royal duties, Andrew was forced to step
down after he was sued for sexual assault and abuse. NBC News reported that King Charles III,
formerly Prince Charles, chose to allow Andrew to wear his uniform as a, quote,
"special mark of respect for the Queen at the final vigil," but there was no clarification
on why the same mark of respect could not be given to the queen from Harry.
On September 16th, 2022, it appeared that the royal family had changed its mind about
allowing Harry to wear his uniform after all ⁠— at least to the vigil for his grandmother,
where he will accompany his older brother and cousins. Prince Harry and Prince William will
be joined by Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips as well as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie,
Lady Louise, and Viscount Severn on September 17th, 2022, as they stand at the queen's coffin.
Royal author Omid Scobie commented on the change in policy on Twitter,
where he explained that the royal family altered
its collective reasoning on the topic. Scobie offered little insight but wrote,
"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."
Prince Harry's 10 years of service earned him several medals that he proudly wears on his
uniform and could be seen adorning his mourning suit. As reported by Yahoo!, Harry was awarded
the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan in honor of the time Harry spent in the country.
On top of that, he has received the Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, which his
grandmother granted him in honor of the military services he has carried out for the Crown.
Harry also received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. This medal is given
to service members who work in the armed forces, the field of emergency services,
prison service, and within the royal household and institution itself.
After the queen's death, Harry referenced his first interaction with his grandmother as his
Commander-in-Chief. The sweet moment between the two transpired in 2006,
when Harry was a brand new officer in the military and participating in a parade
ceremony. While greeting the officers, his grandmother paused in front of him
and gave him a winning smile, causing the then-21-year-old to blush and smile back.