Kate, Princess of Wales, and the Duchess of Sussex may be sporting black veils during the Queen’s funeral, due to a long-held royal tradition.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday 8 September at her Balmoral Estate in Scotland. She was 96.
The last mourners left Westminster Hall just after 6.30am on Monday morning, as the Queen’s five-day lying-in-state ended.
Now, the first guests have begun arriving at Westminster Abbey for the state funeral.
The Queen spent her final evening at Buckingham Palace and was transported to Westminster Hall via a procession on Wednesday (14 September), where her coffin lay in state until Monday 19 September.
The Duke of Sussex was eventually permitted to wear his military uniform to stand vigil at the Queen’s coffin on Saturday evening alongside her six other grandchildren,
Prince Harry’s appearance in his Blues and Royals uniform marks the first time he has worn it since 2020, when he stepped down as a senior member of the royal family and was stripped of his honorary military titles.
For the women of the royal family, there exists another dress code that they must follow on the day of the funeral.
Women of the royal family, including non-working royals such as Meghan Markle, must wear a traditional black lace veil in some form.
Called “mourning veils”, the black lace veil is symbolic as it signifies the wearer is in mourning, but it also adds a practical element as it allows the wearer more privacy to grieve when they are wearing it.
Female members of the royal family wore the veils to Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, but opted for a more subtle version of the traditional long black tulle veil worn by royal family members in the early to mid-1900s.
As is custom, all members of the royal family will be dressed in black, which they have been since the Queen’s death was announced last week.
The tradition of wearing black for mourning was popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore black for 40 years after her husband Prince Albert died in 1861.
Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here
