Queen Orders No Military Uniforms at Funeral 'to Spare Harry Embarrassment'
Queen Orders No Military Uniforms at Funeral 'to Spare Harry Embarrassment'
The Queen has ordered no military uniforms at Prince Philip's funeral this week to "spare Harry the embarrassment."
Here's the full story...
Now, it was announced on the morning of April 9th that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, had sadly died.
He was ninety-nine-years-old.
It was no secret that the royal had been struggling with his health for quite some time...
And had undergone many surgeries over the years.
However, things truly took a turn for the worst for the royal this year...
After he was rushed to hospital after feeling "unwell" on February 16th.
The Duke made a brief recovery...
But from there, things were quick to worsen and the news we had all been dreading arrived last week.
Buckingham Palace announced on April 9th that Prince Phillip had passed away in his sleep at the age of ninety-nine.
He will be greatly missed by all those who know and love the royal family.
Since the tragic news broke, tributes from fans, celebrities, and politicians alike were quick to flood in.
RIP Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. A great life well lived. pic.twitter.com/DsWDGwmwcV
— Frankie Dettori (@FrankieDettori) April 9, 2021
Profoundly saddened to learn about the passing away of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, friend and admirer of India. My thoughts and prayers are with Her Majesty The Queen and members of @RoyalFamily. May his soul rest in peace.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) April 9, 2021
R.I.P Prince Philip. 99 years on this planet, 4 children, 8 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren & married to the freaking Queen. He lived one heck of a life. Peace be with you Sir🙏 pic.twitter.com/9uHZaCxNFH
— thatstarwarsgirl77 (@thatstarwarsgrl) April 9, 2021
RIP Prince Philip, 99.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 9, 2021
A truly great Briton who dedicated his life to selfless public duty & was an absolute rock of devoted support to Her Majesty, The Queen, as the longest-serving royal consort to any British sovereign.
A very sad day for our country. Thank you, Sir. pic.twitter.com/ICO7wY9HXz
President Biden: "On behalf of all the people of the United States, we send our deepest condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the entire Royal Family, and all the people of the United Kingdom on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh." pic.twitter.com/s9IzkfTjQ1
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 9, 2021
We are very sad to hear of the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was an honour to have met the Duke over the years, and have been involved in his charitable causes.
— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) April 9, 2021
PM Justin Trudeau expresses his condolences "Prince Philip will be remembered as a champion for young people, a decorated naval officer, a dedicated philanthropist, and a constant in the life of Queen Elizabeth II. " #cdnpoli #PrincePhilip
— Hannah Thibedeau (@HannahThibedeau) April 9, 2021
Prince Philip played a pivotal, often underestimated, role in the survival of the British monarchy. His self-confidence and irreverence served as a foil for the young Queen, enabling her to overcome her shyness and giving her the confidence to reign calmly.
— Euan Rellie (@euanrellie) April 9, 2021
In their own statement, the royal family wrote:
"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. Further announcements will be made in due course."
Though, of course, all eyes have been on one member of the family in paeticular.
As you will all be aware, Prince Harry is currently residing in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie, so, therefore, will have dealt with the loss thousands of miles away from his family.
Almost immediately after Prince Phillip's death was announced, Harry quickly made plans for his return to the U.K.
He arrived in Heathrow on a British Airways flight at around 1.15 pm on Sunday last week, The Sun reported. He was reportedly met by security off the plane before being driven away in a black Range Rover.
Meghan hasn't joined him, however, due to medical advice on flying while in her third trimester.
Harry is believed to have spoken to William, Charles, Eugenie, and Beatrice in an attempt to "park any disputes" ahead of the funeral, a source told the Mirror:
"Despite everything that has gone on and the wounds are still pretty raw, everyone is hoping any disputes will be parked for another day. This is about giving the Duke the send-off he deserves surrounded by his family."
Harry is set to attend Prince Philip's funeral, which will be taking place on Saturday April 17th in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle...
But of course, this seemingly harmless news hasn't come without its controversies.
Because Harry was forced to give up his honorary military titles when he stepped down from royal duties and relocated to the U.S, he wouldn't be allowed to wear his military uniform to his grandfather's funeral.
According to the Daily Mail, Harry wanted to wear the Blues and Royals dress uniform he wore on his wedding day but as a former captain with the Household Cavalry, he is entitled only to wear a suit with any medals he has been awarded in the course of his duties or by the Queen.
By contrast the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Wessex and Princess Royal would have been, by convention for a royal ceremonial funeral, in full military uniform.
And to make things even more controversial, Prince Andrew - who is currently embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and has been accused of sexual assault - has reportedly demanded to wear his military uniform also.
Andrew has not been stripped of his honorary military titles and remains a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy.
It would have been terribly disheartening for Harry to be surrounded by his family members all wearing their honorable military uniforms...
While he would have been wearing just a suit... especially considering the lifetime of dedication he's given to the royal family.
But now, the military uniform dispute has just been settled...
By none other than the Queen herself.
The Daily Mail has reported that in an unprecedented U-turn, a last-minute decision has been made that no royals will be wearing military uniform at the funeral.
They will all instead wear appropriate mourning dress in order to present a united family front.
A source said, "There was the risk of real embarrassment."
And T=the Queen has decided that, to retain family unity and spare Harry any public humiliation, everyone will dress the same – morning coats and black ties for the men, simple black outfits for the women.
Prince Philip's funeral will go ahead on Saturday, April 17th.
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