The dress code states that working members of the royal family who served in the armed forces dress in uniform for major events.
Senior members of the royal family were seen in military uniform at several events while mourning Her Majesty, including the funeral, when walking behind the coffin as the procession made its way to Westminster Hall, and then again when the Queen’s four children and her eight grandchildren stood vigil at her coffin.
At the funeral, King Charles III wore a Royal Navy No 1 tailcoat with sword, the collar of the Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle Sash, Order of Merit Neck Order and Garter Star and Thistle Star.
From left: Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, King Charles III, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, Peter Philips walking in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession.
While walking in the procession following the Queen’s coffin as it was moved to Westminster Hall, Charles wore a Royal Air Force Marshal uniform, with the Order of Merit and the Order of the Garter Sash and Star. Charles served in the Royal Air Force and in the Royal Navy, and has since held various honorary titles within the military. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth awarded him the highest honorary rank in all three branches of the British Armed Forces, installing him as Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal and Marshal of the Royal Air Force.
The newly minted Prince of Wales also wore a Royal Air Force uniform in the procession to Westminster and at the funeral, his being the No1, along with a Garter Sash with RAF Pilot Wings and Garter Star Chest Order. Prince William served in the Blues and Royals regiment of the British Army before going on to train and serve in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, while also holding several honorary military appointments, including Colonel of the Irish Guards.
The Princess Royal is one of the few royal women to wear full military dress. Anne wore a full ceremonial Royal Navy uniform – at the funeral and procession to Westminster Hall – where she holds the rank of Admiral. She also wore a Garter Star and Garter sash. Anne never actively served in the military, but holds several honorary positions, including Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Nursing Corps and the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals.
The Princess Royal, Princess Anne and behind her the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry walking in the funeral procession for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
For both occasions, The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward wore the Blues uniform with the rank of Honorary Royal Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry. Edward did not serve in the military, but did join the Royal Marines in 1986 after finishing university, however he dropped out during basic training.
During the procession to Westminster Hall and at the funeral, both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were wearing morning suits as both are non-working members of the royal family and were not permitted to wear their military uniforms as they have done in the past.
However, as a mark of respect to the Queen, King Charles gave his permission for his brother and son to wear their military uniforms during their respective vigils.
So, when Prince Andrew joined his siblings to stand vigil at Westminster Hall, he wore his Royal Navy uniform, as he served in the Royal Navy, then held several honorary roles, including Vice Admiral, which was the only rank he retained when the Queen stripped him of his titles due to the lawsuit brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre and his association with Jeffery Epstein.
The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry was also permitted to wear his military uniform when standing vigil with his brother and cousins. Prince Harry and the Prince of Wales were the only two of all of the Queen’s grandchildren to be in military dress as they are the only two who served. Prince Harry was originally not permitted to wear the uniform as he is no longer a working member of the royal family since he and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan left to live in the US.
Both Harry and William wore a Blues and Royals No 1 uniform. Prince Harry also wore a KCVO Neck Order and Star, Afghanistan Operational Service Medal, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and Army Pilot Wings. Prince William wore a Garter Sash and Star, the Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and RAF pilot wings.
They were joined by their cousins Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, children of Princess Anne; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew; and Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, the children of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and the Queen’s youngest grandchildren. It was the first time the grandchildren of a monarch have ever participated in a Vigil of the Princes.
