Prince Harry was left 'heartbroken' after the 'ER' symbol was removed from his military uniform – but not his brother Prince William's – as they stood vigil beside the late Queen Elizabeth's coffin last year.
After the Queen passed away on 8 September 2022, aged 96, a mourning period followed, including three days of the Queen Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall as more than 250,000 members of the public visited to pay their respects.
During the three days, the Queen's children and then her grandchildren, including Prince Harry, Prince William, Zara Tindall, Peter Philips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, along with Lady Louise Windsor and her brother Viscount Severn, held a vigil beside her coffin as people filed past.
Despite leaving the Royal Family as an official working member with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020, Harry was given special permission by King Charles III to wear his military uniform to perform the duty.
However, the 'ER' (Elizabeth Regina) symbol was removed from Harry's uniform, but not from that of his brother, Prince William, who is first in line to the British Throne.
The reason for this is that, traditionally, only members of the Royal Family who are 'in service' of the monarch are able to wear the symbol, but Harry was said to have been 'heartbroken' by the decision.
At the time, a source told the Sunday Times: "He [Harry] is heartbroken. To remove his grandmother’s initials feels very intentional."
It had been reported that Harry was to forgo a uniform entirely and wear a morning suit, however, he donned his uniform of the Blues and Royals complete with Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals, Army Pilot Wings and the Afghanistan Operational Service Medal for the vigil.
The report in The Sunday Times said that Harry had considered wearing the morning suit anyway to avoid "humiliation".
OK! has contacted Harry's reps for comment.
Despite his conflicts with the Royal Family over the past few years, Prince Harry was known to be especially close to the late Queen.
His heartbreak at her death was clear in the emotional statement that he shared following the announcement of her passing.
It read: "Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
"I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III."
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