Royals will not wear military uniform at Prince Philip's funeral

Members of the royal family will not be wearing military uniform at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral (Photo: Gareth Fuller - WPA Pool/Getty Images)Members of the royal family will not be wearing military uniform at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral (Photo: Gareth Fuller - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Members of the royal family will not be wearing military uniform at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral (Photo: Gareth Fuller - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Members of the royal family will not be wearing military uniform at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, which takes place on Saturday 17 April.

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In a move away from tradition, it is understood that the Queen has decided that senior royals who attend the service at Windsor should instead be in civilian clothing.

This move will also mean that the Duke of Sussex will not be the only one not in uniform at the service, after he lost his honorary military titles after making the decision to step down as a senior working member of the royal family.

Protocol suggests that Prince Harry, who did two tours of Afghanistan, can now only wear a suit with medals at royal functions.

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The no-uniform rule has been described as “the most eloquent solution to the problem,” a military source told The Sun.

However, the decision moves away from the usual tradition for ceremonial royal funerals, and will be in contrast to the strong military presence expected to be on show to honour Prince Philip, who served in the Second World War.

The funeral proceedings will start at the entrance of Windsor Castle (Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images)The funeral proceedings will start at the entrance of Windsor Castle (Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images)
The funeral proceedings will start at the entrance of Windsor Castle (Photo: Kate Green/Getty Images)

When will Prince Philip’s funeral take place?

Prince Philip’s funeral will take place at Windsor on Saturday 17 April.

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The Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 on 9 April, and the royal family is currently observing a two week period of mourning.

The service will be a ceremonial royal funeral, instead of a state funeral which is typically reserved for monarchs, and due to current Covid restrictions on crowds and numbers attending services, the duke’s funeral will be much more understated than usual.

The funeral proceedings will start at the entrance of Windsor Castle, where the coffin will begin its journey to King George VI memorial chapel, and the service is due to begin with a nationwide minute’s silence at 3pm.

The service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 3pm on Saturday, and will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.