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Why Prince Harry will not wear military uniform for the King’s coronation

Prince Harry will be reunited with brother Prince William at the coronation

Tania Leslau
Fashion features writer
Updated: May 6, 2023
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Prince Harry will join his family in attendance at King Charles III's coronation. The Duke of Sussex is set to reunite with his brother Prince William at the event, but it has been revealed that the royal will not be donning traditional military uniform for the highly anticipated occasion. 

The Duke is expected to instead wear a morning suit for the service at Westminster Abbey. He will not have any formal role in the coronation - Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Harry is no longer a working member of the royal family, having stepped down as a senior royal in January 2020 alongside his wife Meghan Markle with the pair announcing the news via social media.

WATCH: CORONATION DAY is here!

Before stepping down, Prince Harry previously wore uniforms to mark his former positions as Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington, and honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy’s Small Ships and Diving Operations.

The Duke of York is also expected to be dressed in non-military attire, most probably a classic suit. The late monarch's second son stepped down from his royal duties in 2019, following his much-talked-about TV interview with BBC Newsnight, which focused on his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

A royal source told HELLO! that stepping down was a "personal decision by the Duke," adding: "He discussed with the Queen and the Prince of Wales and other members of the family, but it was a personal decision."

Prince Andrew and Prince Harry will have no formal role at the coronation© Getty
Prince Andrew and Prince Harry will have no formal role at the coronation

In February 2022, he reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, after she filed a case against the Duke for allegedly sexually assaulting her on three occasions. Ahead of this, his mother the Queen stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he gave up his HRH style.

Giddy King Charles spends time with his smiling son Prince Harry
Prince Harry will reunite with his family for the grand event

As both Dukes are no longer working royals, they will not perform any duties for the coronation. They will still, however, attend the service at Westminster Abbey that will oversee the crowning of the new monarch.

Harry and Andrew will not be included in the procession as the newly crowned King and Queen depart Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach to travel back to Buckingham Palace after the service.

Prince Harry Meghan Markle hold hands United Nations Headquarters© Getty
Meghan Markle will not be joining her husband for the coronation

It will mark the first time the Duke of Sussex has been seen publicly with his family since the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral last September, and since he made a number of shocking claims about Charles, Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in his tell-all memoir Spare, which was published in January.

DISCOVER: King Charles's coronation crown jewels - your guide to all of the historic regalia 

The Duchess of Sussex will not be in attendance at the coronation, instead remaining at home in Montecito where she will be celebrating Prince Archie's fourth birthday.

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