Prince Andrew leaves St Giles Cathedral after the arrival of Queen Elizabeth's coffin. Photo / Petr David Josek via AP
Prince Andrew leaves St Giles Cathedral after the arrival of Queen Elizabeth's coffin. Photo / Petr David Josek via AP
The Duke of Sussex has been denied the right to wear military uniform at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and ceremonial events leading up to it, although an exception has been made for the Duke of York.
Only working members of the royal family will be allowed to wear military uniform at the five ceremonial events during the period of mourning, Buckingham Palace sources confirmed.
They included today's Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.
However, Prince Andrew will be permitted to wear uniform on one occasion - the final vigil in Westminster Hall - as a "final mark of respect" for his late mother.
It is thought likely to be the full military dress uniform of a Vice Admiral of the Navy, the only military rank he still holds.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, look at the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle. Photo / Martin Meissner, AP
Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have seen active service; the former with two tours of Afghanistan and the latter in the Falklands.
All four of the late Queen's children walked behind the coffin as it was driven from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the cathedral.
The King wore full day ceremonial uniform with the rank of Field Marshal, the Princess Royal will wear Royal Navy full ceremonial uniform in the rank of Admiral and the Earl of Wessex will wear the Blues Uniform of the Honorary Royal Colonel of the Wessex Yeomanry.
Prince Andrew wore a morning suit with medals and decorations.
The other ceremonial events in which the Queen's four children will take part this week are the procession to Westminster Hall and service of prayer and reflection on Wednesday, a vigil at Westminster Hall, the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday and the following committal service at St George's Chapel Windsor.
Prince Andrew, 62, was effectively sacked as a working royal in January after finding himself at the heart of one of the biggest royal scandals in recent memory, accused of raping and sexually abusing a teenage sex trafficking victim.
Prince Andrew and Prince Edward with the procession of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Photo / Owen Humphreys via AP
He was stripped of all honorary military titles and patronages and removed from virtually all facets of royal life.
The Duke later lobbied the Queen to be reinstated as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards as he pushed for a return to public duties but his efforts were rebuffed by the then Prince of Wales and Prince William.
At the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last April, members of the royal family did not wear military uniform after the late Queen decreed that they should don morning coats with medals or day dress instead.
The decision, which broke with centuries of royal tradition, was made to present a united family front at the carefully choreographed ceremony at Windsor Castle.
It followed intense discussions over who should appear in uniform after the Duke of Sussex faced the prospect of being the only senior royal not in military dress despite twice seeing active service in Afghanistan.
Prince Harry is consoled by a wellwisher on a walkabout at Windsor Castle. Photo / Kirsty O'Connor via AP
A row was said to have broken out after the Duke of York demanded to go as an admiral, despite his promotion to that rank being deferred after he stepped back from public duties in November 2019 over his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
In February, the Duke paid around $23 million to settle a civil case with his accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre after several months of legal wrangling and mud slinging. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Prince Harry was "disappointed" to be stripped of his military titles last February, when it was confirmed he and the Duchess of Sussex were leaving royal life for good.
Buckingham Palace said that as the couple would not be returning as working members of the royal family, it was "not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service".
Members of the royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018, with Prince Harry, third from right, in military uniform. Photo / Matt Dunham, AP, File
Their royal patronages and the Duke's honorary military appointments were returned to the late Queen, but it will now fall to the King to eventually redistribute them among working members of the family.
The Duke's military titles included the prestigious title of Captain General of the Royal Marines, which he inherited from his late grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.
