Prince Harry has kept his honorary decorations close to his chest.
For Queen Elizabeth II's procession on Sept. 14, the Duke of Sussex—who walked alongside brother Prince William, dad King Charles III and other royals behind his grandmother's coffin—wore his military medals on the chest of his suit. As a non-working member of the royal family, Harry was not permitted to wear his military uniform at any of the traditional events leading up to the Queen's funeral.
In response to the rule, the 37-year-old expressed that he wanted to keep the focus on honoring the late British monarch.
"Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will wear a morning suit throughout events honoring his grandmother," his spokesperson said in a Sept. 13 statement to E! News. "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."
Harry—who stepped back from royal duties with wife Meghan Markle in early 2020—spent 10 years in the Army, serving two tours in Afghanistan (The first being from 2007-2008 and the second from 2012 to 2013).
Although Harry's uncle Prince Andrew is also a non-working member of the royal family, according to a spokesperson for King Charles, Andrew will be allowed to wear his uniform "special mark of respect for the Queen at the final vigil."
Two days after his grandmother passed away on Sept. 8, the Duke of Sussex spoke to mourners outside of Windsor Castle. In his message to the crowd, Harry shared, "It's a lonely place up there now without her. Every room she was in, we felt her presence throughout."