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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Ryan Merrifield

Prince Andrew permitted to wear military uniform at vigil for Queen today

Prince Andrew has been permitted to wear a military uniform at a final vigil for the Queen today.

The Duke of York will join siblings King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward for the ceremonial guard at Westminster Hall from 7.30pm.

The new monarch gave his younger brother the green light to don his Navy garb despite him having stepped down as a working royal and been stripped of his honorary titles.

The late Queen's middle son, 62, has been pushed to the shadows of the Firm in light of scandals involving his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and alleged sexual abuse of Virginia Giuffre.

He refused to say he regretted his relationship with the billionaire paedophile during a car crash Newsnight interview in late 2019.

And earlier this year paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to Ms Giuffre, who he claimed previously never to have met.

Prince Andrew wore his medals pinned to a morning suit while following the Queen's coffin on Wednesday (via REUTERS)

The Queen stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he gave up his HRH title.

Andrew walked behind Her Majesty's coffin on its way from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday in civilian clothing and was not allowed to salute.

The former Royal Navy officer, who served in the Falklands War, did however retain his rank as a Vice Admiral and wore his medals pinned on to a dress suit.

The prince retains the rank of Vice Admiral despite being stripped of his standing in the Firm (UK Press via Getty Images)

Despite his relegation to the background of the Firm, the Duke has occasionally made other controversial appearances at the centre of royal proceedings in recent months.

In March, for example, he assisted the Queen into the Abbey for a memorial service to his late father Prince Philip.

And he is set to carry out royal duties as a Counsellor of State under King Charles.

Andrew will stand vigil over his mother's coffin with his siblings today (PA)

It comes after The Mirror revealed yesterday that Andrew's nephew Prince Harry, who is also no longer a working royal, has been given the same permission to wear his military colours at a second vigil.

The Duke of Sussex will take part in the service alongside the Queen's other seven grandchildren at the Hall on Saturday.

The Queen's funeral is expected to see the Abbey filled with over 2,000 guests.

The cortege will then leave London for Windsor and a committal service will take place at St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle at 4pm on Monday.

Some 800 people, including members of the Queen’s Household and Windsor estate staff, will attend the committal service.

The Queen will later be buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in King George VI’s chapel in Windsor Castle in a private service at 7.30pm the same day.

The burial service conducted by the Dean of Windsor and attended by the King and royals will remain entirely private, as a “deeply personal family occasion”.

* You can now buy last Friday's historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative

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