Honoring Her Majesty’s legacy. Queen Elizabeth’s vigil was held two days before her funeral. Her grandchildren, led by Prince William and Prince Harry, took a moment of silence to give tribute to her.
The newly appointed Prince of Wales led Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn to surround the Queen’s casket and take a moment of prayer for 15 minutes for their beloved grandmother. Notably, Prince Harry was seen with his military uniform on after he was not permitted to wear it for the Queen’s coffin procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Royal officials reversed course in a surprising “U-turn” on Thursday, September 15, royal expert Omid Scobie tweeted.
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Since he stepped down from his royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry is a non-working member of the Royal family. Because of this, he could not wear his military uniform despite serving in the military for 10 years. British military personnel are usually not allowed to wear their uniforms unless they are in an honorary appointment and had been authorized to wear one. In place of this, they wear their military medals pinned to civilian clothes. Prince Andrew was also not wearing his military uniform because he was stripped of his title in 2020. However, Prince Andrew will wear his uniform as a “special mark of respect for the Queen at the final vigil,” according to King Charles.
Prince William and Kate Middleton invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for a walkabout to look at the tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Kensington Palace says William invited his brother and sister-in-law to join him and Kate. Earlier in the day, William was present for his father’s proclamation as King. The couples who were wearing all black looked fondly at the flowers and messages of support to the Queen and her family. “We are all very grateful – both sides putting all things aside for the Queen,” a Royal source told Page Six.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement on September 8 confirming the news of Her Majesty’s death, just hours after reports that Prince Harry was traveling to be with the family. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace’s official statement said. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” Those who were at the side of the Queen during her death include Prince Charles and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William who is second in line for the throne. The Queen’s funeral is scheduled to be held on September 19, 2022.
Image: Courtesy of Random House.
For more about the British royal family, check out Sally Bedell Smith’s 2012 biography, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch
. The New York Times bestseller, which includes the “real story” behind several storylines featured in Netflix’s The Crown, follows Queen Elizabeth II’s life from her childhood as the “heiress presumptive” to her father, King George VI; to the moment he met her husband, Prince Philip, when she was 13 years old; to her ascension to the throne at 25 years old in 1952. Elizabeth the Queen, which also includes interviews with Buckingham Palace sources and never-before-revealed documents, provides a deep dive into the Queen’s legacy as one of the most famous monarchs in recent history.
