Queen Elizabeth II funeral: What is the significance of veils worn by women in the UK royal family?

Earlier, the new king Charles III was flanked by his sons Princes William and Harry, and their wives Princess Kate and Meghan Markle — along with the queen’s other children and grandchildren — at the service that followed the procession of the late monarch’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday, where it is slated to lie in state until her funeral and burial on Monday, September 19.

The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex, besides paying tribute to their grandmother-in-law with their jewels at this London service, were also seen wearing veils, which were attached to their fascinators, a formal headpiece.

Catherine and Prince William leave after a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at Westminster Hall, in the Palace of Westminster in London. (Ben Stansall/Pool via AP)

An alternative to the hat, fascinators have, for years now, been worn as decorative headgears that are attached to the hair with a band or a clip. As mentioned earlier, Kate and Meghan — who are married into the royal family — wore this as a veil since it was a part of their dress code.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave after a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at Westminster Hall, in the Palace of Westminster in London. (Ben Stansall/Pool via AP)

The women are also expected to wear traditional black veils in any form during the queen’s funeral. Why are they a part of the dress code?

An Independent report states that these are called “mourning veils”, since it symbolises grief and suggests that the wearer is in mourning. The black lace is also considered to be practical since it allows the wearer some privacy to express their emotions.

 

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Female members of the royal family wore veils to Prince Philip’s funeral as well, in April 2021, albeit a more toned-down subtler version than those worn earlier, which were traditional long black tulle ones till the 1900s.

Duchess of Cambridge, looks on during the funeral of Britain’s Prince Philip. (Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS REFILE)

King Charles and Princess Anne follow the hearse during the funeral of Prince Philip. (Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS)

Besides the veil, the dress code also dictates family members to wear all-black outfits.

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