What will the royal family wear to the Queen’s funeral?

Some working royals will wear military uniforms, while others will wear black, the traditional colour of mourning

The Queen’s funeral will be held at 11am on Monday 19 September. Her Majesty died on Thursday 8 September at her Balmoral estate in Scotland. She was 96.

Following a 10-day mourning period, which has seen the Queen’s coffin travel from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh, and finally to London, the funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey.

There will be a two-minute silence held at midday on Monday as a mark of respect for the Queen.

Ahead of the funeral, there has been speculation about what royal family members will wear.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Prince Harry will not be allowed to wear his military uniform to the funeral because he is no longer a working member of the royal family.

However, it has been reported that Prince Andrew, who is also no longer a working member of the royal family, will be allowed to wear his military uniform.

What is the traditional dress code for a royal funeral?

During a period of royal mourning, and all of the events that come with it, working members of the royal family must wear military uniforms.

These events include the Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, the procession to Westminster Hall, the vigil at Westminster Hall, the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey, and the committal service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor

As is custom, other attendees will wear black, with royal women likely wearing black veils for the day of the funeral.

As Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are no longer working royals, they will not be permitted to wear military uniforms to the events. An exception has been granted to Prince Andrew, however, who will be allowed to wear a military uniform to the Queen’s funeral.

Why is Prince Harry not allowed to wear his military uniform but Prince Andrew is?

King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence walk behind the hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin on Monday (Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working members of the royal family in 2020 when they moved their family to the US.

Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in January 2022 after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, who was a victim of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. The Duke of York vehemently and continuously denied these accusations. The case was settled out of court.

Prince Andrew resigned from many of his public duties in May 2020.

However, it has been reported that Andrew, who served in the Navy for 22 years, has been given an exception to wear his military uniform on the day of the Queen’s funeral while Harry, who served in the military for 10 years, was not.

A statement released by Harry’s spokesperson on Tuesday night (13 September) said: “[Prince Harry] will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring 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.”

Why do the royal family wear black during the mourning period?

(Getty)

Black is the traditional colour for mourning, and it was popularised by Queen Victoria who wore black for 40 years as a mark of respect to her husband Prince Albert, who died in 1861.

Members of the royal family traditionally wear black for the entire period of mourning, which King Charles III announced will extend to a week after the Queen’s funeral.

A statement from Buckingham Palace read: “It is His Majesty The King’s wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen’s Funeral.

“Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties.”

The rule is so strictly enforced that members of the royal family must always travel with a black outfit in their suitcase.

This is so if a member of the royal family dies while they are abroad or away from home, they can change into black to mark the family member’s death.

Why do royal women wear black veils for the funeral?

Princess Anne at Prince Philip’s funeral (left), and Princess Elizabth, Queen Mary, and the Queen Mother at the funeral of King George VI in 1952 (right) (Getty/PA)

Women of the royal family, including non-working royals such as Meghan Markle, must wear a traditional black lace veil in some form.

Called “mourning veils”, the black lace veil is symbolic as it signifies the wearer is in mourning, but it also adds a practical element as it allows the wearer more privacy to grieve when they are wearing it.

Female members of the royal family wore the veils to Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, but opted for a more subtle version of the traditional long black tulle veil worn by royal family members in the early to mid-1900s.

Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here