Prince Harry Allowed To Wear Military Uniform To Queen Elizabeth's Vigil After Rule Change

Prince Harry will now be able to wear his military uniform to a special vigil for Queen Elizabeth II Saturday, according to reports.

Buckingham Palace confirmed to People Monday that only working members of the royal family who hold military rank will wear military uniforms at the five major ceremonial events leading up to and including Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral next week. Prince Andrew was granted a special exception to wear his uniform at the final vigil for the Queen despite not being a working royal, but Prince Harry was initially not granted the same honor.

However, Page Six confirmed Thursday that the palace has given the Duke of Sussex permission to wear his uniform to the Saturday vigil. The Mirror was the first to report on the reversal.

An unnamed source told Page Six that Prince Harry did not request the change.

"He was simply prepared to wear whatever his grandmother made plans for. He's focused on honoring her and that's it. If they'd like him in uniform, I have no reason to think that he won't oblige," the insider said.

Prince Harry, his brother Prince William and Queen Elizabeth's six other grandchildren will stand near her coffin in silence for 15 minutes at the lying-in-state vigil to be held in Westminster Hall in London Saturday, according to royal reporter Omid Scobie.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara and Peter Phillips and Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn will also be taking part in the vigil.

It is unclear as of this writing whether Prince Harry will be allowed to wear his military uniform for his grandmother's funeral on Monday as well.

The reversal came after the Duke of Sussex released a statement in response to the announcement that he was not allowed to wear his uniform to the mourning events and the funeral.

"[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honoring 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," his spokesperson said in a statement to Scobie.

An unnamed royal insider previously told Page Six that Prince Harry "will be saddened not to wear his military uniform to the Queen's funeral."

Prince Harry was in the British Army for 10 years, serving on the front lines in Afghanistan in 2007. After he and Meghan Markle quit royal duties in 2020, he lost his honorary titles: Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington and Commodore-in-Chief of Small Ships and Diving.

Prince Andrew, who spent 22 years in the Royal Navy, was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in January after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, a victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

All working royals with military rank will wear their uniforms to the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey in London Monday and a Committal Service at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the late monarch will be laid to rest.