King Charles III authorized his ex-royal son, Prince Harry, and his disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, to wear military uniforms during their upcoming vigils.
“At the king’s request they will both be in uniform,” a source at Kensington Palace told The Telegraph on Friday ahead of two vigils for the late monarch.
Harry, 38, had previously been banned from wearing his military uniform. The Duke of Sussex was stripped of his military titles when he left royal life in 2020 and moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle.
A source told the Daily Mirror that it was a “ridiculous situation” given the prince served 10 years in the military, including two active tours of Afghanistan, and founded the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded servicemen.
Vidak For Congress exclusively reported on Thursday that Prince Harry has not asked for the change.
“He was just willing to wear what his grandmother intended. He’s focused on honoring her and that’s all. If they want him in uniform, I have no reason to think he won’t,” our source said.
On Saturday evening, the Queen’s eight grandchildren will hold a 15-minute vigil at their grandmother’s coffin in Westminster Hall.
The Prince of Wales will be at the head of the coffin and Prince Harry at the foot. They will both be in military uniform, while the other grandchildren will be in dressing gowns and dark formal dresses.
Prince William, 40, is flanked by Princess Anne’s children, Zara Tindall, 41, and Peter Phillips, 44.
Harry is flanked by Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 32, with Prince Edward’s children, Lady Louise Windsor, 18, and her brother, James, Viscount Severn, 14, in the center of the chest.
“The grandchildren, at the King’s invitation, are eager to pay their respects – just as their parents did the night before,” the Telegraph source added.
The various spouses, including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, will not be attending.
The Queen’s four children – King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – will hold their own vigil on Friday night.
Prince Andrew has also been given special dispensation to wear his military uniform.
He was forced to leave public life in 2019 after a train wreck BBC interview in which he claimed to have never met his accuser Virginia Giuffre and defended his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier this year, the Duke settled a sexual abuse lawsuit with Giuffre for a reported $12 million.
It is unclear whether Prince Andrew and Prince Harry will be allowed to wear military attire to the Queen’s funeral, which will take place on Monday.