Harry gets to wear a uniform: Eight Queen’s grandchildren stay awake

Harry can wear uniform
Eight Grandchildren Queen’s Watch

17/09/2022, 9:10 PM

After the children, Queen Elizabeth’s grandchildren also hold a vigil. All eight stand in silence by the Queen’s coffin for 15 minutes. Charles’ children both wear uniforms, although Harry had to give up his military titles.

Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren kept a 15-minute vigil at their grandmother’s coffin. At the request of her father King Charles III. Both the heir apparent Prince William and Prince Harry wore military uniforms. At previous ceremonies, unlike his brother, who served in Afghanistan, Harry wore civilian clothes – he had to relinquish his military titles when he left the royal family.

After Prince Andrew, who had to resign from his official duties with the royal family after his involvement in an abuse scandal, was allowed to wear a uniform at a vigil by the Queen’s children, there was criticism – and Harry was finally allowed a uniform as an exception. The other granddaughters wore formal black clothes.

William and Harry stood at the head and foot of the coffin. Along the long sides and lined are the children of the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne – Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips – as well as Prince Andrew’s daughters – Beatrice and Eugenie. The Queen’s youngest grandchildren – Lady Louise and Viscount Severn – Prince Edward’s children, were also present at their “grandma’s” special farewell. There was almost deathly silence around the casket during the wake, although many Britons attended the grandchildren’s performance after queuing for hours at Westminster Hall.

Letter to “Dear Grandma”

Beatrice and Eugenie had previously said goodbye to their grandmother with emotional words. “Like so many, we thought you would be here forever. And we miss you terribly,” they wrote in a letter to their “dearest grandmother.” “You were our matriarch, our leader, the loving hand on our backs that guided us through this world,” the princesses said. “You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever.”

The sisters thanked the queen. She made them laugh, tied them up and picked berries with them. “Hello dear grandmother, it was the honor of our lives to be your granddaughters and we are so proud of you. We know that dear Uncle Charles the King will follow your example and also dedicate his life to service,” emphasized 34- year-old Beatrice and Eugenie, who was two years younger.

Earlier, King Charles and his son Prince William paid a surprise visit to the mourners in the mile-long line outside London’s Westminster Hall. They shook hands and chatted with waiting citizens on Lambeth Bridge, which spans the Thames. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to bid farewell to her coffin this weekend ahead of the Queen’s funeral service and her funeral on Monday. There were already miles of queues in front of Westminister Hall on Friday. The waiting time was sometimes more than 24 hours. Westminster Hall will remain open to the public until 7.30am Monday morning, with the monarch’s coffin set up.