The funeral service of Queen Elizabeth II was a sombre event for all, but for Prince Harry, it was further marred by the fact he was barred from wearing his military attire as he farewelled his beloved grandmother.
WATCH: Body language expert explains feud between William and Harry
As per royal protocol put forth by the new king, both Harry and Prince Andrew were forbidden to wear their military uniform, despite the Duke of Sussex serving in the Army for ten years, where he undertook two tours of Afghanistan and even rose to the rank of Captain.
Harry was stripped of his honourary military titles in 2020 following his royal exit, and arrived at Westminster Abbey in a black mourning suit, while King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince William all donned their official military attire for the solemn occasion.
According to body language expert Dr Louise Mahler, the move is likely to affect Harry for “a long time to come”.
“Given this situation, it was noteworthy that Andrew and Harry were not only stripped of their uniforms but stripped of their ability to salute the Queen,” Dr Mahler told New Idea.
“Personally, I felt the need to salute such an outstanding figure and for them to have held back must have been torture and something that may eat at Harry in particular for a long time to come.”
Harry and Meghan Markle arrived separately to the service from other members of the Royal Family, with Meghan donning an all-black outfit with a matching headpiece and pearl earrings.
Whilst Harry and Meghan stayed in the UK to attend the funeral, their children, Archie, 3 and Lilibet, 1 were not in attendance.
The funeral is not the first time The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have joined the Royal family in public since the death of her majesty – the pair joined Will and Kate at Windsor Castle shortly after the Queen’s passing and also attended the Queen’s lying-in-state last week.
The walkaround at Windsor Castle was an unexpected show of unity that surprised shocked onlookers, as the foursome – who were dressed in black, greeted onlookers and took flowers for the late queen.
Kensington Palace explained that Prince William invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to join him and Kate.
Another source told People that the public gesture “was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family.”
