The reason Queen Elizabeth II’s initials were removed from Prince Harry’s military uniform

There have been some strains especially after he stepped down as a senior member of the institution more than two years ago to relocate to the US with his family. His wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, confirmed it in her recent interviews and it seems the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, has only brought to light these tensions, even if the family has refused to openly admit it.

With Harry’s father King Charles III acceding to the throne, there have been many changes within the family, including Harry’s elder brother William and his wife Kate’s promotion to the posts of Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Sussex’s recent oscillation between whether or not he can wear his military uniform, participate in events where dignitaries and world leaders — who have arrived to pay their tribute to the queen — are in attendance, etc.

Prince Harry holds a vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)

The duke — because he is no longer a working royal — was seen without his military uniform and in civilian clothes when the queen’s coffin left Buckingham Palace for the last time and made its way to Westminster Hall for its final vigil. William, Harry, their father, and the queen’s other children walked behind the coffin on foot.

Prince Harry — who had served in the British Army for a decade, including two tours of Afghanistan — was not embittered by this development, instead releasing a statement through his spokesperson, who was quoted as telling The Independent that he would wear a morning suit, but that the “focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”.

The Queen’s grandchildren hold a Vigil beside Her Majesty’s coffin at Westminster Hall. pic.twitter.com/lChZW6OdIP

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 17, 2022

This was followed by a recent vigil for the queen — as her coffin lay in state in Westminster Hall — which was kept by her eight grandchildren, during which Harry was allowed to wear his military uniform at the “king’s request”. It was the first time that he wore the uniform after stepping away from royal duties in 2020.

Prince Harry arrives to hold a vigil in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, as it lies in state, in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)

The Duke of Sussex, however, was purportedly left ‘heartbroken’ after he found that Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘ER’ initials — for ‘Elizabeth Regina’ — were removed from the shoulder of his uniform. The initials, however, appeared the Prince of Wales’ uniform. It was even seen on the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, even though he no longer is a working royal himself.

The Sunday Times reported that Harry was “devastated” by this new change and considered wearing his suit instead to avoid “humiliation”. The publication quoted a source as saying, “[Harry] is heartbroken. To remove his grandmother’s initials feels very intentional.”

Prince Harry participates in the vigil of the Queen’s grandchildren around the coffin. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)

According to reports, the duke was not supposed to wear his military uniform at all during the funereal activities, since he has been stripped of his “honorary military titles” ever since he gave up on the royal life in 2020. But King Charles III allowed him to wear his uniform after supposed backlash from the public after Andrew was seen wearing his during the vigil of the queen’s children on September 16.

During their vigil, Princes Harry and William both wore their golden, diamond and platinum jubilee medals, and Harry also wore his Afghanistan service medal. He was seen in a civilian suit for the state funeral.

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