King Charles III, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward performed a salute outside of Westminster Abbey this morning ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.
Prince Harry and Prince Andrew stood in formation with their family members, but neither of them saluted.
Harry and Andrew also wore morning suits to the funeral, while Charles, William, Anne and Edward wore military uniforms.
So, why didn’t Harry or Andrew salute?
A salute is a military custom in which a soldier signals respect to a superior rank.
While Prince Harry was in the military, he waved goodbye to his uniform and military practices when he stepped back from his role as a senior working member of The Royal Family in 2020 – meaning he was unable to salute alongside his family members.
Meanwhile, the Queen’s son Prince Andrew was forced to step down from public duties in 2019 because of his connections to a convicted U.S. sex offender, the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier this year, the Duke of York was also stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages after he was accused of rape in a civil lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Guiffre in New York.
The Queen’s son denied the rape allegation and settled out of court while admitting no liability.
