Meaning of Prince William's Uniform Braids
Both Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge are wearing frockcoat uniforms of the Blues and Royals at the royal wedding, according to the royal family's website. It also notes that the Queen gave her permission to her grandson to get married in his uniform.
While Prince Harry and Prince William's uniforms were both tailored at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row, there are some major differences between the medals and braids on William's uniform and the ones Prince Harry is wearing today.
On the left side of Prince Harry's coat he is wearing a Pilots’ Wing badge for serving in the Army Air Corps, where he flew Apache helicopters. He served in the British Army between 2005 and 2015, completing two tours of Afghanistan where he rose to the rank of Captain in the Blues and Royals. His four medal ribbons are for the K.C.V.O, Afghanistan, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, according to Royal Central.
Prince William's wings are for flying in the RAF, but he also has the ribbons for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. However, he is also wearing the a Garter star since he is a member of the Order of the Garter. Because he is an Aide-de-Camp to The Queen - an honor bestowed upon him in 2013 - his shoulder strap bears the Queen's cypher. This is also the reason why he's wearing the golden braids - better known as an aiguillette - across his right shoulder.
According to the Guardian, Queen Victoria was the first monarch to install this small group of personal aides-de-camp. One of the first ones was Prince Louis of Battenberg, Queen Victoria's grandson-in-law.
In addition to Prince William, his father the Prince of Wales and his grandfather the Duke of Cambridge are also personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.
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