SOLEMN DUTY
Prince Andrew appears in military uniform as he stands vigil beside Queen’s coffin with King Charles, Anne and Edward
PRINCE Andrew appeared in military uniform last night as he stood vigil by the Queen's coffin.
The Duke of York joined King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward for the moving vigil at Westminster Hall this evening, where Her Majesty lies in state.
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The siblings stood guard over their mother as they did in Scotland earlier this week - in a moving tradition known as Vigil of the Princes.
But Andrew, who wore a suit for the event at St Giles' Cathedral on Monday, donned his military colours yesterday as a "special mark of respect" to his mother.
It comes as...
- Camilla reveals Royals are ‘exhausted’ but are carrying on as ‘stopping would be worse’ as she visits Wales with Charles
- Prince William will lead the Queen's grandchildren at a poignant vigil at her coffin tomorrow
- Prince Harry will wear his uniform at the vigil after being granted permission by King Charles
- The list of 500 heads of state and dignitaries attending the Queen's funeral has been confirmed
- Sophie Wessex is reportedly set to take on a number of the Queen's old roles
- Queen Consort Camilla has been soldiering on with her duties despite breaking a toe two weeks ago
- Entry to see the Queen lying in state has been paused for at least six hours
- A minute-by-minute guide on the Queen's funeral details has been released
King Charles led his sister and two brothers through Westminster Hall shortly after 7.30pm and slowly walked them in step to their positions.
His Majesty, 73, stood at the head of his mother's coffin, while Anne and Edward stood either side, with Andrew at the foot.
Read More on the Queen's Death
The siblings bowed their heads for 15 minutes in quiet reflection, while other members of the Royal Family watched on.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, watched from afar, along with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Princess Eugenie , Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall.
As the vigil took place, emotional mourners continued to flood into the hall to pay their respects, having queued for hours to be there.
And after a signal from one of the Queen's bodyguards, the King led his siblings away.
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Anne and Edward walked out side-by-side while Andrew followed behind.
Members of the public then gave them a round of applause.
Andrew was stripped of his military patronages and royal duties over his links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
He also paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre earlier this year, having previously claimed never to have met her.
The Queen stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and he gave up his HRH title.
And Andrew, who denies all the allegations against him, wore a suit as he walked behind Her Majesty's coffin on Wednesday.
The former Royal Navy officer, who was also banned from saluting when the Queen was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, wore medals instead, having retained his rank as a Vice Admiral.
He was joined by Prince Harry in civilian clothing, who lost his military titles following Megxit.
But the Duke of Sussex will now be allowed to wear his military uniform for a separate vigil at the Queen’s coffin tomorrow.
Harry, who has served two tours of Afghanistan and ten years in the military, was special permission by the King to appear in uniform for the 15-minute period of reflection at Westminster Hall.
The ruling was not a U-turn but a “one-off” decision by the King as a mark of respect for the late monarch.
And an insider said: “The King invited the Queen’s grand- children to mount a vigil and Harry can wear his uniform.”
It's understood Harry had not asked for a change and had been prepared to wear whatever was asked of him so the focus was on honouring his grandmother.
The duke will join his seven cousins for the poignant vigil around the Queen's coffin on Saturday evening.
He will be flanked by Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, while William will have Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips either side.
Lady Louise and Viscount Severn will stand at the middle of the coffin during the powerful 15 minute vigil.
Princess Kate and Meghan Markle will not feature in the sombre occasion as spouses are not attending.
It is understood the eight grandchildren were keen to pay their respects - as their parents are did last night in their own vigil.
It comes as thousands - including David Beckham - continue to queue for hours to file past the Queen's coffin.
Entry to the line was earlier paused for at least six hours after Southwark Park reached its capacity.
Her Majesty will be laid to rest in a state funeral on Monday to mark her incredible 70 years of service.
Further details on the plans were released yesterday - with the sombre occasion starting at 11am in Westminster Abbey.
The Queen's gun carriage will be drawn by 138 Royal Naval ratings as it is moved from New Palace Yard to Westminster Abbey via Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary.
It will be followed on foot by King Charles and members of the Royal Family including Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, Prince William and Prince Harry.
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The Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel where her mother and father were buried along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
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Prince Philip's coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join his beloved wife of 73 years.
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