Prince Harry 'left "heartbroken" after Queen's 'ER' initials were stripped from military uniform he wore to coffin vigil': Duke 'considered wearing mourning suit to avoid "humiliation"' after Prince Andrew was allowed to keep royal cypher'
The Queen's eight grandchildren held a sombre 15-minute vigil by her coffin inside Westminster Hall last night
Princes William and Harry, both dressed in military uniform, stood at either end of their grandmother's coffin
Harry had previously been prevented from wearing military uniform, but was granted permission for the vigil
However, the 'ER' initials were stripped from his shoulder, leaving him feeling 'heartbroken' and 'devastated'
Came despite Prince Andrew having retained initials on his vice-admiral’s uniform during vigil on Friday night
The Queen's funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
By Jamie Phillips For Mailonline
Published: 04:51 EDT, 18 September 2022 | Updated: 09:27 EDT, 18 September 2022
Prince Harry has reportedly been left 'devastated' and after the Queen's 'ER' initials were removed from the shoulder of his military uniform as he held vigil by her coffin - after Prince Andrew was allowed to keep the royal cypher.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, is said to have considered wearing a morning suit to avoid embarrassment as the monarch's eight grandchildren carried out a sombre guard of honour inside Westminster Hall last night.
William and Harry, both dressed in military uniform, stood at either end of their grandmother's coffin. They were joined by cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor and her brother Viscount Severn.
Harry, who saw action on the front line during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, had previously been prevented from wearing military uniform this week as he is no longer a working royal.
He was granted permission by King Charles to wear the livery for the vigil inside the Palace of Westminster.
However, the Duke of Sussex is understood to have been devastated to find his grandmother's initials had been stripped from the shoulder of his uniform, The Sunday Times reports. The initials were not removed from Prince William's uniform.
Harry's despair is understood to largely centre around Prince Andrew, who is also no longer a working royal, having retained the initials on his vice-admiral’s uniform as the Queen's children held a vigil on Friday night.
The Duke of Sussex was a Personal Aide de Camp of the Queen and, as a result, had previously worn the cypher. But it was among the posts he resigned when he stepped down from royal duties and moved to California.
The 'ER' initials are traditionally only worn by those 'in service' of the monarch, and so the absence of the cypher is thought to be down to dress regulations as opposed to a direct snub of the prince.
But such was his despair, Harry is said to have considered wearing a morning suit as they were leaving in order to avoid the embarrassment last night.
A friend told the newspaper: 'He is heartbroken. To remove his grandmother’s initials feels very intentional.'
Prince William (left) wore the ER initials on the shoulder of his military uniform last night, but the cypher was removed from that of Prince Harry's
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