London — Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren will stand vigil by her coffin in London’s Westminster Hall on Saturday evening, Kensington Palace announced Friday. At the request of King Charles III, both William, Prince of Wales, and his brother Harry, Duke of Sussex, will wear military uniforms.
The move comes after the king gave previous guidance, reported by CBS News contributor Royah Nikkhah, that only working members of the royal family would be permitted to wear their uniforms during ceremonial events leading up to the queen’s state funeral.
That decision meant that Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, wore a suit as he processed behind his grandmother’s coffin this week. Surrounded by his father, brother and aunt and uncles in uniform, Harry chose to wear his military medals pinned to his lapel.
The guidance meant that Prince Andrew, the king’s younger brother whose image remains deeply tarnished by his association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, also did not appear in uniform for the procession on Wednesday. Andrew, who also served in the military, was stripped of his royal patronages and military affiliations over sexual abuse allegations linked to Epstein.
It is unclear what Andrew will wear as he joins his brother, the king, and their two other siblings to stand vigil at the queen’s coffin on Friday evening.
During the grandchildren’s vigil for their late grandmother on Saturday, William will stand at the head of the coffin and Harry will stand at the foot. The vigil will last for 15 minutes.
The queen’s other grandchildren will be in dark formal dress. They include the children of Princess Anne, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, the children of Prince Andrew, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and the children of Prince Edward, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.
