Prince Harry “has not been permitted to wear his military uniform” to his father King Charles III’s coronation despite serving 10 years in the army, according to a new report.
The Duke of Sussex is set to attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla alone on Saturday 6 May. His wife Meghan Markle will remain in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
For the ceremony, Harry, who also served two tours of Afghanistan, is expected to wear a morning suit, according to The Telegraph. The decision follows royal protocol, which typically bars non-working members of the royal family from wearing military uniforms to official state occasions.
Harry and Meghan announced their intentions to step down from their roles as senior members of the royal family in January 2020. They later relocated to the US. Following the couple’s decision, Harry was stripped of his honorary military titles.
The duke’s status as a non-working member of the royal family also meant that he was initially not permitted to wear his military uniform during the September funeral proceedings for Queen Elizabeth II. However, Harry was ultimately allowed to wear his uniform while standing vigil at the late monarch’s coffin alongside the Prince of Wales and Her Majesty’s six other grandchildren at King Charles III’s request.
Although the King granted his youngest son permission to wear his military uniform while paying respects to the late Queen, Prince Harry reportedly made “no specific requests concerning his outfit for the coronation,” and was instead “willing to wear whatever was asked of him,” according to The Telegraph.
The Independent has contacted a representative for the Duke of Sussex for comment.
The coronation is expected to be a “slimmed-down” affair, with 2,000 guests expected to be in attendance rather than the 8,000 guests present at the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
It has been reported the ceremony will also be much shorter than the late Queen’s, which lasted more than three hours, and feature a more relaxed dress code, possibly allowing peers to wear lounge suits or morning suits instead of ceremonial robes made with crimson velvet and ermine.
As for the King’s coronation outfit, it has been reported that he has been advised to forego the traditionally opulent dress that the coronation ceremony is known for, and instead to opt for his military uniform.
Prince William, Prince Harry’s older brother, is also expected to wear his military uniform to their father’s coronation.
