King Charles and his siblings Anne, Andrew, and Edward have held their final vigil for the Queen before the late monarch is laid to rest on Monday, September 19.
As tearful mourners watched on, the Queen’s four children stood guard over their mother’s coffin for more than 10 minutes at Westminster Hall this evening. It is their second, and final, vigil for the late monarch.
The four siblings dressed in military colours.The Duke of York, who was stripped of his armed forces patronages earlier this year amid a sexual abuse lawsuit in the US, had previously been banned from wearing military colours at public events.
But he was today given special dispensation to wear uniform at the vigil as a ‘final mark of respect’ for his mother. He wore the full military dress uniform of a Vice Admiral of the Navy, which he earned from his years serving in the Navy including in the Falklands War.
Tomorrow, the Queen’s eight grandchildren will perform a similar vigil. Prince Harry, who has also been banned from wearing military uniform as part of his ‘Megxit’ deal after stepping back from frontline royal duties in 2020, will also be given special dispensation to wear his army colours at the event.
Harry will join his brother, Prince William, along with Zara Tindal, Peter Philips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James Viscount Severn at the event on Saturday night.
