Prince Andrew demands to wear admiral's uniform for Philip's funeral: Scandal-hit Duke wants full military rig... meaning Prince Harry could be only senior male royal NOT wearing uniform
The Queen is being forced to decide which rank of military uniform the Duke of York can wear to his father's funeral after he demanded to go as an Admiral.
Prince Andrew – who stepped back from public duties over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 18 months ago – was made an honorary Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015.
He was due to be promoted to Admiral on his 60th birthday last year, but offered to defer it until he cleared his name and returned to public duties.
Now the 61-year-old prince has sparked ructions at Buckingham Palace after he told his mother and senior officials that he wished to attend the funeral as an Admiral. The widowed Queen will have to make a decision in the next 24 hours.
Royal officials are also wrestling with the dilemma of Prince Harry possibly being the only senior male royal not in uniform at the funeral.
Andrew, who joined the Royal Navy in 1979 as a Seaman Officer and finished his active naval career in 2001, is currently a Vice-Admiral after being awarded the rank on his 55th birthday.
An Admiral ceremonial day coat has three rows of lace on the sleeve, but a Vice-Admiral's two rows. The Admiral's shoulder rank board has a crossed baton and sword with four stars, but for a Vice-Admiral there are three stars.
It comes as:
- Preparations are well under way for Philip's funeral, which will feature servicemen and women from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF - alongside top military brass - this Saturday at Windsor Castle;
- The Queen returned to royal duties just four days after Philip's death, hosting an in-person event to mark the retirement of her household's most senior official, former Lord Chamberlain Earl Peel;
- Thames Valley Police are carrying out specialist searches around Windsor town, with officers examining street furniture including phone boxes, post boxes, drains and bins as part of the operation;
- The Queen and her family will wear face masks and socially distance as they gather to say their final farewell - and the Queen may have to sit alone during the service due to social distancing rules;
- Philip's funeral could attract one of the largest television audiences of the year, with the record to beat being 25.1million people who watched Prime Minister Boris Johnson's televised lockdown address on January 4.
While it is not known exactly what uniforms the senior royals will wear on Saturday, at the Queen Mother's funeral in 2002, Prince Charles wore a Rear Admiral dress uniform, Prince Andrew wore a Royal Naval Commander uniform, and Princess Anne wore honorary Rear Admiral dress.
All three had, and still have, honorary military titles - along with Prince William - so will all once again be allowed to wear military uniform this weekend. William wore a Blues and Royals uniform to Harry's wedding in May 2018.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex stands with Prince Edward and Prince Andrew as the brothers wear ceremonial dress at a service of commemoration to mark the end of combat operations in Afghanistan, at St Paul's Cathedral in London in March 2015
Prince Harry (left) has a Blues and Royals military uniform which he wore when he married Meghan at Windsor Castle in May 2018. The choice of attire was significant because it was a major's uniform as opposed to that of a general - despite him being Captain General of the Marines. His brother Prince William also wore a Blues and Royals frockcoat uniform for the event
Prince Charles and Prince William wear ceremonial uniform next to the Queen on the balcony at Buckingham Palace in 2015
Prince Andrew in ceremonial dress at a service to mark the centenary of the RAF in London on July 10, 2018 (left); and Prince Harry in a normal suit at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020 (right)
Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence in military dress at a Jutland commemoration in South Queensferry on May 28, 2016
Princess Anne arrives at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on the Isle of Wight today
Sophie, Countess of Wessex arrives at Windsor Castle today after Prince Philip died at the age of 99 last Friday
Soldiers from the Welsh Guards rehearsing for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on the Drill Square at the Army Training Centre Pirbright in Woking, Surrey, today
Soldier from the Royal Regiment of Scotland 4 Scots (the Highlanders) rehearsing for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on the Drill Square at the Army Training Centre Pirbright in Woking, Surrey, today
A soldier from the The Life Guards rehearsing for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on the Drill Square at the Army Training Centre Pirbright in Woking, Surrey, today
It comes as it was reported last night that William had spoken on the phone to Harry.
The estranged brothers have barely spoken for a year and any attempts to break the ice after Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview have not been productive.
Kensington Palace declined to comment but royal sources said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wished the focus of the week to be on honouring the Duke of Edinburgh's memory.
Harry lost his military titles after quitting royal duties. As a former Captain with the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals), Harry is only permitted to wear a morning suit with medals, unless officials can find a way round the issue.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night, saying only: 'Funeral arrangements are being finalised and we will announce them accordingly.'
A source said any final decision on what uniforms are worn would rest with the Queen.
Andrew stepped down from public duties in November 2019 'for the foreseeable future' over his friendship with Epstein in the wake of the disastrous Newsnight interview he had hoped would clear his name.
The Queen joined by members of the Royal Family after Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace in June 2019, including the Prince William and Kate with their children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Camilla, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Peter and Autumn Phillips and their children Savannah and Isla
Prince Andrew leaving Windsor Castle yesterday, hours before it was reported that the Queen is being forced to decide which rank of military uniform the Duke of York can wear to his father's funeral after he demanded to go as an Admiral
The Duke and Duchess of York leave the Windsor Castle estate yesterday, ahead of Prince Philip's funeral this Saturday
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lay a wreath at Los Angeles National Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday last November
The Duke of Sussex displayed various decorations on his military uniform at the Royal Albert Hall last March. He wore a scarlet Mess Jacket featuring silver-embroidered rank badges of a star above a crossed sword and baton on each shoulder strap
Armed police on patrol outside Windsor Castle today following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh aged 99 last Friday
Preparations being made for TV and radio broadcasters outside Windsor Castle today to cover Philip's funeral this Saturday
The prince joined the Royal Navy in 1979 as a Seaman Officer and finished his active naval career in 2001.
The Navy established a policy in 2009 that means the prince is promoted in line with his still-serving peers to mark his continued contribution to the service.
He became a Rear Admiral on his 50th birthday, a Vice-Admiral on his 55th, and had been due to become an Admiral on his 60th last year before forgoing the promotion.
Andrew's stance is likely to add to what must be an extremely distressing and stressful week for the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family.
'People have opinions and there are ongoing discussions about the right course of action,' a source said.
The rank of Admiral is the highest rank to which a serving officer in the Royal Navy can be promoted, although members of the Royal Family can be made Admiral of the Fleet.
Significantly, while many of Andrew's charitable patronages have deserted him, he has not been stripped of his military positions and titles yet.
He has been accused by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Guiffre, of having sex with her twice when she was just 17. Andrew has strongly denied all accusations.
He has kept a generally low profile since being forced out of public life, but in recent days talked of the 'huge void' his father's passing had left in the Queen's life.
There have been reports he hopes to rehabilitate his image and make a return to public life.
As for William and Harry, broadcaster Andrew Neil told ITV's This Morning today: 'They've spoken on the phone, of course they can't meet face to face because Harry is in quarantine having come in from Los Angeles.
'I don't know whether it will lead to anything or not. I mean, frankly I think it's a sideshow. What Harry and William do is up to them - if they want to speak, fine, if they don't that's fine too - I don't really care, one way or the other.
'What I don't want to happen is it to overshadow the Duke's funeral and to overshadow the Queen. All thoughts this week should not be with Harry or William, all thoughts should be with the Queen. That's the beginning and the end of it. She's the one that matters, not these two.'
Meanwhile the Queen has returned to royal duties just four days after the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
On Tuesday, the 94-year-old monarch hosted her first in-person event since Philip's passing on Friday to mark the retirement of her household's most senior official, former Lord Chamberlain Earl Peel.
Her return to work comes as preparations are under way for Philip's funeral, which will feature servicemen and women from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF - alongside top military brass - this Saturday at Windsor Castle.
It was announced at the weekend the monarchy and their households would observe two weeks of royal mourning, with members of the family 'continuing to undertake engagements appropriate to the circumstances,' a royal official said.
The Earl Peel had overseen arrangements for the duke's funeral - known as Operation Forth Bridge - before handing responsibility to his successor, former MI5 spy chief Baron Parker, just over a week before Philip died peacefully at Windsor Castle.
In overall charge is Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, who took up his new role on April 1, following the Earl Peel's retirement after more than 14 years in the post.
The Lord Chamberlain oversees all senior appointments in the household, is the channel of communication between the sovereign and the House of Lords and ensures co-ordination between Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
During a ceremony held at Windsor Castle, the Queen accepted her former royal aide's wand and insignia of office.
Senior members of the Royal Family follow the coffin of the Queen Mother on its way to her funeral in Westminster Abbey in London in April 2002. From left: The Duke of York, Prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Royal, and Earl of Wessex
Members of the Royal Family attend the funeral of Earl Mountbatten in September 1979, including the Queen, Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward
The official engagement was recorded in the Court Circular - a daily list of the events attended by the Queen and her family.
It said: 'The Earl Peel had an audience of The Queen today, delivered up his Wand and Insignia of Office as Lord Chamberlain and the Badge of Chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order and took leave upon relinquishing his appointment as Lord Chamberlain, when Her Majesty invested him with the Royal Victorian Chain.'
The Queen recently conferred a prestigious honour on the Earl Peel, making him a Permanent Lord in Waiting.
Meanwhile, as part of security preparations, Thames Valley Police are carrying out specialist searches around Windsor town, with officers examining street furniture including phone boxes, post boxes, drains and bins as part of the operation.
The force said it has put a range of visible and covert security measures in place for Saturday, when the duke is to be honoured with a ceremonial royal funeral at St George's Chapel.
It will be a royal funeral like no other, with the Queen and her family wearing face masks and socially distancing as they gather to say their final farewell.
The Queen may have to sit alone during the service due to social distancing rules, the Telegraph has reported. She is staying at Windsor with a reduced number of around 22 staff, in what has been dubbed HMS Bubble.
The duke's long-standing close aide, his private secretary Brigadier Archie Miller Bakewell, will be one of the few, and possibly only, non-royals invited to attend the historic occasion inside St George's Chapel.
As a member of HMS Bubble, he may be the only person eligible to sit with the Queen. It is thought Philip's funeral could attract one of the largest television audiences of the year.
The biggest TV audience so far saw 25.1 million people watch Prime Minister Boris Johnson's televised address on January 4 announcing a new national lockdown, while 13.9 million viewers tuned in for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with US broadcaster Oprah Winfrey last month.
Broadcasters have yet to confirm their plans for Philip's funeral, but the BBC and ITV are likely to devote several hours to the event, including the ceremony at 3pm.
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