The time has come for the royal family to say their final goodbyes to Queen Elizabeth II.
During the late monarch's state funeral on Sept. 19, Prince Harry joined his family—including brother, Prince William, and father, King Charles III—in escorting his grandmother's coffin in a procession wearing a suit and his military medals. However, due to his status as a non-working member of the royal family, the Duke of Sussex was without military uniform at the service.
"Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother," a spokesperson for Harry told E! News on Sept. 13. "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 Invictus Games founder—who stepped away from royal duties with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020—was not permitted to wear a military uniform at the majority of the events preceding the state funeral, including her procession on Sept. 14.
Harry's service background includes spending 10 years in the Army and having rose to the rank of Captain and undertaking two tours in Afghanistan. He also still works with fellow servicemen by sponsoring support for wounded women and men as they adjust to life post-injury.
Harry wasn't the only member of the royal family not donning a military uniform. Prince Andrew, who walked alongside siblings Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward, was also dressed in a dark morning suit.
The Duke of York was stripped of his military titles in January when the Queen called on her son to return his military affiliations and royal patronages to her. The move came one day a U.S. judge denied dismissing a civil lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that Prince Andrew sexually abused her when she was 17 years old. In a 2019 interview with BBC, Andrew denied the sexual assault allegations.
Although Harry didn't sport his uniform to the funeral, he was permitted to wear it earlier this week while standing vigil at his grandmother's coffin for 15 minutes of silence on Sept. 17.