Keen-eyed observers were quick to note that Prince Harry’s military uniform was noticeably different from Prince William’s and Prince Andrew’s during Queen Elizabeth II’s vigil, but a royal filmmaker claims there was “no ulterior motive” from Buckingham Palace.
Prior to the Queen’s state funeral on Monday, The princes stood vigil over her coffin at Westminster Hall. On the shoulder of William’s uniform, and on Andrew’s military regalia, an insignia bearing the initials “EIIR” could be seen, but were notably missing from Harry’s. The insignia stands for “Elizabeth Regina” or “Queen” in Latin. It also includes the middle symbols indicating she is the second Queen Elizabeth.
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen offered an explanation for the missing insignia. “The answer to the missing lettering on Prince Harry’s uniform is for two reasons,” Bullen began. “One, he is no longer a serving member of the British Armed Forces. If you’re not a serving member of the British Armed Forces, you’re not allowed to wear His or Her Majesty’s uniform without permission from the monarch. To be frank, it’s to prevent people from dressing up and pretending to be a member of the armed forces. The only reason he was allowed to wear the uniform was that the king granted permission for that moment in Westminster Hall for the vigil, but he is not a serving member of the armed forces. Therefore, the uniform can be adapted to reflect that.”
Harry was given permission to wear his military uniform at the last minute after receiving approval from his father, King Charles III. The decision was believed to be made following days of backlash from the public. According to palace sources, the decision was also made without Harry requesting a change.
“The second reason is that he was granted those ‘EIIR’ letters when he was an aide-de-camp for Her Majesty,” Bullen continued. “The reality is he is no longer in that role. And those letters were no longer required to be on the uniform. The reasons are clear. There is no ulterior motive. Those are just the rules.”
Bullen, an award-winning documentarian who has been producing programs about the British royal family for 20 years, has worked closely with the king for about a decade. His subscription service is launching two specials for streaming: “The Royal Beat: Her Majesty’s Final Journey” and “Recollections: Memories of Her Majesty.” Both feature royal experts and palace insiders weighing in on Elizabeth’s life and legacy.
Bullen also explained why Andrew, who stepped down as a senior working royal in 2019, was allowed to wear his lettering.
“The symbol/cipher is worn by personal aide-de-camps to the sovereign,” he said. “Harry was stripped of this role when he stepped down as a working royal. However, Andrew remained as a personal aide-de-camp to the queen. Therefore, he was allowed by the king to wear the lettering on his uniform for the vigil.”
Andrew spent 22 years in the Royal Navy and served as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War in 1982. The Duke of York was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in January after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. She was a victim of late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
An exception was made for the 62-year-old to wear his uniform once during the mourning period. Andrew wore his military garb for a Vigil of the Princes where he joined his siblings in standing guard over his mother’s coffin at Westminster Hall.
Harry, meanwhile, served 10 years in the British Army and was deployed to Afghanistan twice, wore a Blues and Royals No. 1 Uniform, KCVO Neck Order and Star, Afghanistan Operational Service Medal, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals and Army pilot wings.
Harry lost his three honorary military titles (captain general of the Royal Marines, honorary air commandant of RAF Honington, and commodore-in-chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command) after he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their senior royal roles in March 2020.
A spokesperson for Harry previously claimed that the duke would wear a suit throughout the events honoring the queen.
“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 spokesperson added.
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