Prince Harry has admitted he will not be wearing military uniform as he honours his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II despite a decade of military service.
Harry, who saw action on the front line during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, will be in a morning suit for official events including the late monarch’s state funeral.
However his uncle the Duke of York will be permitted to wear military uniform at the lying in state vigil despite the Queen stripping him of all of his honorary military roles in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes said: “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.”
Only working royals – which Harry and Andrew are not – are being permitted to dress in uniform at five ceremonial occasions.
These are the St Giles’ Cathedral service in Edinburgh, which took place on Monday, and the coffin’s procession to Westminster Hall, the vigil at the lying in state, the funeral in Westminster Abbey and the committal service in Windsor.
But an exception has been made for Andrew who will wear a uniform as a “special mark of respect” for the Queen when he stands guard around her coffin during the Vigil of the Princes.
He is expected to be joined by the Queen’s other children – the King, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex – at the proceedings during the lying in state later this week.
Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
He went on to pay millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met - despite there being a photograph of him with his arm around her.
In January, ahead of his legal settlement, the Queen stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he gave up his HRH style.
Andrew, a former Royal Navy officer who served in the Falklands War, retained his rank as a Vice Admiral, and is expected to wear the coinciding uniform.
Virginia Giuffre sued him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by Epstein. Andrew denied the claims.
At the service of thanksgiving in St Giles’ on Monday, Andrew was in a morning suit, while his siblings, including Edward who dropped out of the Royal Marines, wore military dress as they processed behind the Queen’s coffin.
Andrew wore eight medals and decorations – his South Atlantic Medal for service in the Falklands, his Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum medals, a Royal Navy Long Service Medals with Bars, Canadian Forces Decoration with Bar and New Zealand Commemoration Medal.
