King Charles’ touching gesture to Prince Harry on his birthday
In a touching gesture, King Charles III has allowed Prince Harry to wear his military uniform at a vigil beside the Queen’s coffin on Saturday.
The decision to allow the Duke of Sussex to wear his Blues and Royals uniform was made exclusively by his father, King Charles III, royal sources have said. HELLO! understands that the change in ruling was made without Harry’s involvement. The father-of-two had been prepared to obey his grandmother’s wishes and wear a suit or uniform of her choice. The revelation comes after the Duke of Sussex was spotted wearing civilian dress at all official events following the death of his grandmother, since he is no longer a working royal.
Despite being a former Army Officer, the royal was requested to wear a morning suit for the Queen’s procession which took place on Wednesday. In a show of unity, Prince Harry and Prince William walked side by side as they followed the late monarch’s coffin as it made its way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Saturday’s poignant event will see all of the Queen’s eight grandchildren taking part in the vigil – standing in quiet contemplation around their grandmother for 15 minutes as a mark of respect.
Prince Harry was supported by his wife Meghan Markle
The Prince of Wales will stand at the head while the Duke of Sussex is expected at the foot. William will be flanked by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, the children of the Princess Royal; while Harry will be with the Duke of York’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. This past week will no doubt have proved tough for Prince Harry who celebrated his 38th birthday on Thursday. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently away from their two children Archie and Lilibet, having extended their stay in the UK to attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
The Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey
And the emotional toll of mourning his late grandmother was clear to see during the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 20-minute service on Wednesday. A sombre-looking Harry looked deeply upset as he glanced over at the Queen’s coffin.
In a visible show of support, Meghan could be seen holding her husband’s hand as they left Westminster Hall.