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Prince Harry will get the chance to wear military uniform at a vigil for Queen Elizabeth II following days of complaints that Prince Andrew was getting favorable treatment, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The Duke of Sussex served two tours on the front line in Afghanistan, seeing action as a gunner in an Apache helicopter.
However, initial funeral plans barred him from wearing his military uniform because he is no longer a working royal.
The same policy was applied to Prince Andrew, only the disgraced Duke of York was given an opportunity to wear his uniform at a vigil that is only for the queen's children on Friday, September 16, at 7.30 p.m. U.K. time.
The Daily Mirror reported on September 15 that Prince Harry will be allowed to wear his military uniform at a separate vigil for Elizabeth's grandchildren on Saturday, September 17 and the palace confirmed the U-turn on September 16.
Broadcaster Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, wrote on Twitter: "The status quo of Prince Andrew wearing a uniform at a vigil with his siblings—and Prince Harry being denied the same opportunity—was simply untenable."
The queen's eight grand children will form a 15 minute vigil around her coffin at Westminster Hall, with Prince William, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips at the front and Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at the back.
Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, both children of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will go in the middle.
The climbdown follows days of backlash so extensive that even Piers Morgan, one of Harry and Meghan Markle's fiercest critics, backed the Duke of Sussex to wear his uniform.
In a column for The Sun on September 14, Morgan wrote: "I'm not a fan of Prince Harry, to put it mildly. I think his behaviour since quitting Britain and royal duty has been appallingly selfish, greedy, and damaging to the monarchy.
"But one thing I will never begrudge him is the right to be properly respected for his military service which included two tours of Afghanistan.
"And I don't think it's right that he has been banned from wearing his uniform at events to commemorate the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II."
The perception that Andrew was being given preferential treatment drove much of the backlash against the ruling, with many citing Virginia Giuffre's allegations he raped her when she was a 17-year-old Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking victim. Andrew denied the allegations and settled out of court without admitting liability.
Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, author of This is Why I Resist and a prominent U.K. commentator, told Newsweek: "It's deplorable double standards here.
"Prince Andrew was stripped of all of his honorary military titles because of the disgrace he brought to the Royal Navy and the Royal Family following the accusations of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre.
"Prince Harry served with distinction. He served in the army with distinction, rising in the ranks. He did two tours of Afghanistan. He still works with veterans and promotes support for wounded men and women."
However, there were also comparisons drawn with working members of the royal family, whose military careers have been less illustrious than Harry's.
Prince Edward, for example, is allowed to wear a military uniform adorned with medals related to his honorary military titles despite the fact he dropped out of the Royal Marines without completing training.
None of his medals relate to active service or any military deployment, though he has been decorated in recognition of the queen's many jubilees and has a number of commemorative medals.
Royal biographer Omid Scobie wrote on Twitter: "In a dramatic u-turn, palace officials have informed Prince Harry that he CAN wear his military uniform at a final vigil.
"On Saturday evening, Harry will join seven other grandchildren at Westminster Hall to stand in silence for 15 minutes by the Queen's coffin."
Disputes over Harry and Andrew's military uniforms date back to Prince Philip's funeral when there were initial suggestions Andrew might attempt to attend in an admiral's uniform despite never having held the rank.
A spokesperson for Harry released a statement earlier this week seeking to ease tensions over the issue of uniforms and divert attention back onto the queen.
It read: "Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will wear a morning suit throughout events honoring his grandmother. His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
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About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more