Fans Are Going Absolutely Wild Over Prince Harry For One Simple Reason
According to People, Prince Harry arrived in Scotland shortly after it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on September 8. Of course, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle famously sparked controversy when they stepped back as senior royals in 2020, which put their relationship with the late monarch on edge at the end. According to a statement in The New York Times, Queen Elizabeth II said, "My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the royal family, we respect and understand their wish." However, the couple's relationship with the royals has been complicated by other issues, including racism towards Meghan, per Time.
Royal correspondent and entertainment reporter Kinsey Schofield talked to Nicki Swift about the chances for royal reconnection for Harry and Meghan. She said, "I see reconciliation once King Charles and Prince William feel confident in the brand again. Once they are comfortable in their new roles and feel like they are moving in a positive direction, they will likely be open to re-engaging."
Meanwhile, Prince Harry is stirring the pot for another reason. Let's just say that the royal dress code does not come without complications.
The initial drama behind Prince Harry's military uniform
King Charles III asked Prince Harry and Prince William to wear their military uniforms to a September 17 vigil for Queen Elizabeth II. But the decision did not come without preceding drama. According to BuzzFeed News, Buckingham Palace's initial choice was to only allow working members of the royal family to wear their uniforms to the queen's funeral events. Even though they both served in the military, Harry and the queen's son, Prince Andrew, are nonworking members of the royal family. However, Andrew was allowed to wear his uniform at his mother's vigil on September 16 — even though he lost his military titles and exited royal life due to his sexual assault case with one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims. Unlike Andrew, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle chose to back out of royal duties, per another BuzzFeed News report.
People took to Twitter to express their disgust with the initial wardrobe plans. One user wrote, "Deplorable! Prince Harry denied right to wear military uniform at the Queen's funeral but Prince Andrew who brought disrepute to Royal Navy & Royal family can? Harry has impeccable military record, supports wounded war veterans & founded #InvictusGames!" Another person remarked, "Harry is the only royal with real military experience and they are forcing him to wear a suit to his grandmother's funeral while the rest of the royals play dress up in uniforms and medals they haven't earned. All because he had the audacity to protect his wife."
Fans thirsted over Prince Harry's military uniform
Though some fans were frustrated by the dress code saga, Prince Harry didn't seem to be fazed. According to Page Six, Harry didn't even request that he wear his military uniform to Queen Elizabeth II's vigil. An insider for the outlet said, "He was simply prepared to wear whatever his grandmother made plans for. He's focused on honoring her and that's it. If they'd like him in uniform, I have no reason to think that he won't oblige." And to many people's excitement, Harry did oblige.
Excitement may be an understatement, as many fans were head over heels in love with Harry on Twitter. Yup, the military garb was a thirst trap for some people. One user wrote, "Now we know why they didn't want Prince Harry wearing his military uniform. The amount of thirsting I am seeing on the TL." Another user tweeted, "Prince Harry is pretty sexy in that uniform I have to admit and I've seen it most of my life." Another person noted, "Bad dad. Jealous brother. Lying SIL. Leaky palace courtiers. Vile British media. Racist royalists. No one, not one of them can hold this good man down." Hmm... how does Harry's wife feel about all of this lustful attention?
An inside look at Prince Harry's military uniform
There's one catch to Prince Harry's military uniform. According to Page Six, his outfit did not have Queen Elizabeth II's initials "ER" labeled on it. However, Prince William's uniform did have the cipher on the shoulders. A source said that the "ER" initials were indeed taken off Harry's uniform. The choice to do so reportedly left him "heartbroken" and "devastated," an insider told The Sunday Times (via Page Six).
Fans may be disappointed to learn that they won't be seeing Harry's military uniform again anytime soon. According to BBC, Harry has dressed in civilian clothing for events since Queen Elizabeth II's passing. According to CNN, Harry will don a morning suit for his grandmother's other events, including her funeral. A spokesperson said, "His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II." According to the outlet, Harry's decade in the British Army included two tours of Afghanistan and promotion of captain in 2011.