Prince Philip has passed away at the age of 99, after battling health problems for the last few years.
The Queen has been forced to step in and mediate a family squabble over who wears what to Prince Philip's funeral.
With one close member of the royal family no longer officially part of the British military (ahem, Harry), and another caught up in scandal (ahem, Andrew) the topic ofwho was and was not going to wear their military uniform was causing tension. So the Queen put her foot down.
Prince Philip served in the British Navy and fought in World War II, it is hard not to wonder if he would be disappointed his family will not be in uniform for his funeral. Photo/Getty Images
In a departure from royal tradition the Queen has declared that no family members will be wearing their military uniforms, instead they will don traditional mourning attire.
The move was at least partly to do with a desire not to embarrass Harry, who was forced to give up his military titles when he retired from royal duties and moved to America with his wife, Meghan and young son, Archie.
Sources say that Harry, 36, dearly wanted to wear the same Blues and Royals dress uniform that he wore for his marriage to Meghan Markle in 2018, but he is not entitled to wear it any longer.
Harry was a serving member of the military for many years, and held the rank of captain with the Household Cavalry, so he would understandably be upset to be the only senior royal not in uniform at the funeral.
Prince Harry (seen here with his brother William in uniform in 2018) was deeply saddened when he was stripped of his royal titles and wanted to wear his old uniform to the funeral. Photo/Getty Images
The waters of family unity got even murkier when disgraced royal Andrew declared that he would wear an admiral's uniform to the funeral, despite making a decision to defer taking up a royal promotion in light of his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Andrew has not been officially stripped of his military title and would technically be eligible to wear a vice-admiral uniform to the funeral. It seems that the royal family were aware than Andrew being allowed to wear the uniform, in spite of being embroiled in a scandal, while Harry could not, would send the wrong message.
Prince Andrew is still eligible to wear his military uniform, in spite of the Epstein scandal, but the Queen has decided against it. Photo / Getty Images
In order to present a united front, a request was made - and approved by the Queen herself - that the family would all dress the same in morning coats and black ties for the men and simple black outfits for the women.
Royal experts point out that this will be only the second time in more than a century that the royal family did not wear their military uniforms to the funeral of a monarch.
The decision, whilst controversial and breaking with tradition, will send a message to Harry that he is a respected and important member of the family, in spite of severing his ties and abandoning royal duties in 2019.
The funeral for Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be a royal ceremonial funeral, which is described as a little less fancy and grand than a state funeral but with many similar ceremonial elements.
Will the show of family unity help to mend fences between Harry and his family or will the backlash over such a dramatic departure from royal tradition be too heavy for the Queen's olive branch to bear?
