How long will the Queen wear black for?

Prince Philip's funeral will take place on Saturday 17th April, and the 30 mourners will have a strict dress code, including the monarch. But afterwards, how long will the Queen wear black for? It all depends, but more on that later.

On the day, Queen Elizabeth II will wear a black outfit, and is likely to wear jewellery that has a special meaning for her and the late Duke of Edinburgh. It's also custom for royal men of military ranking to wear uniforms, so it was initially thought Prince Harry and Prince William wouldn’t be wearing the same thing, with Harry in a suit and William in military uniform (the former lost his military titles after stepping down from duties).

However a source has since revealed the Queen has asked all men to wear suits to avoid any distraction from the commemoration of Prince Philip's life. The women will all wear black, with Princess Anne likely standing out by wearing her own uniform - she has several honorary titles.

How long do royals wear black for mourning?

There is already a strict dress code in place, with royals wearing black and also required to wear mourning bands for any official engagements between the death of a consort and his or her funeral.

In this case, although there were no official engagements due to Covid-19, royals such as Prince William and Kate Middleton would have been required to wear black on outings between Prince Philip's death on Friday 9th April and his funeral on Saturday 17th April, so eight days in total.

Though this period of national mourning is eight days, there is expected to be an extra 30 day Royal Mourning period, during which they are expected to wear sombre attire.

How long will the Queen wear black for?

Like the other royals, the Queen is expected to carry on wearing black for 30 days after the funeral, however she might well choose to prolong that period. Queen Elizabeth II is known for her love of bright outfits, especially in summer, which wouldn't look appropriate right now.

Ultimately, it's up to Her Majesty, and she might choose to never change her wardrobe again. After her beloved husband Prince Albert died in 1861, Queen Victoria famously wore black or dark mourning outfits everyday for 40 years, until her own death in 1901.

In fact, it's thought she cemented the tradition of wearing dark colours during funerals, with society following her example.