Unlike in the US, where veterans often wear uniforms for special occasions, retired British military personnel are not allowed to wear uniform unless they are in an honorary appointment and had been authorized to wear one. Instead, they wear their military medals pinned to civilian clothes.
They are also expected to wear it for the other big events marking the Queen’s death, including a vigil at Westminster Hall, the state funeral on Monday and the committal service at St. George’s Chapel Windsor later that day. Prince William, who is now the heir to the throne, is also expected to be in military dress.
Prince Andrew will not be wearing uniform for any of the events apart from one. According to the palace, he will wear a uniform during the vigil at Westminster Hall as a special mark of respect for the Queen.
Prince Harry will wear a morning suit throughout events honoring his grandmother, a Sussex spokesperson said Tuesday.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, was also not wearing a uniform during Wednesday’s procession. He is not a working royal and has not served in the military.
Serving in war
More than a year later, the discussion remains a sensitive topic, especially since Harry and Andrew are the only two of the Queen’s children and grandchildren to have fought in a war.
Prince Andrew, the Queen’s second son, served in the Royal Navy for 22 years as a helicopter pilot and instructor and then as a commander of naval ship HMS Cottesmore. He took part in the Falklands War. While he left active service with the Royal Navy in July 2001, he continued to wear uniform during ceremonial events as a working royal because of his honorary titles.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years. He completed two tours of Afghanistan, achieved the rank of captain in 2011 and qualified as an Apache Aircraft commander. Captain Harry Wales, as he was known in the Army, retired from the Army in 2015.
As a working royal, he too continued to wear his uniform while attending royal ceremonies — such as when he donned his Blues and Royals Household Cavalry uniform for his 2018 wedding. He stopped wearing a uniform after stepping back from his royal duties in 2020.
While King Charles III served with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for six years, he never took part in an active war. Prince William served for more than seven years as a search and rescue pilot.
Princess Anne and Prince Edward never served in the military, but both hold honorary titles.