King Charles III has reportedly bestowed a military title reserved for Prince Harry to Prince William, making his eldest son and heir to the throne the next colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps despite Prince Harry’s tenure with the unit in Afghanistan.
According to The Independent, Harry would have retained the military appointment had he not elected to step back from royal family duties and move to the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2020.
“His Majesty the King will officially hand over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement, per the report. “In August 2023, following His Majesty’s Accession, the King was pleased to announce military appointments including that the Prince of Wales would become Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps. The role was previously held by His Majesty the King, as Prince of Wales, for 31 years.”
The news follows reports that Harry, Duke of Sussex, will not see his father while visiting the U.K. for the tenth anniversary of his Invictus Games, a sporting events initiative he launched for wounded veterans and servicemen.
“It unfortunately will not be possible due to his majesty’s full programme,” a spokesperson for Harry said, per Reuters. “The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”