Friday 16 April 2021

Uniformly Consistent

Members of the Royal Family will not be wearing uniform for Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday. Commentators maintain it's to spare embarrassment to Prince Harry, who has no leave to wear uniform since being stripped of his honorary military ranks. 

Being so stripped, he is a veteran, and veterans are not allowed by law to wear their uniforms after leaving the services, as Harry has done. All they can wear are their service medals. The rest of them have honorary ranks which were given by the Queen, and are therefore still considered to be on active service.

I don't believe for one minute that Harry would be embarrassed - quite the reverse, it's the rest of them who would be embarrassed at dressing up like extras in a North Korean version of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, when it's Harry who we most associate with honourable active service in wartime. 

Of course, Prince Andrew saw active service in the Falklands, but he's somewhat blotted his copybook of late, and he's still a bloody Rear Admiral, despite never progressing beyond the real rank of Commander RN and himself being retired, and therefore not entitled to wear uniform, unless of an honorary rank bestowed by the Queen.


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