Queen Elizabeth To Remove Prince Harry’s Military Titles, Palace Source Claims
Queen Elizabeth will reportedly remove Prince Harry’s honorary military titles almost one year after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior members of the royal family, a palace source claimed.
The Daily Express reported that the prince stands to permanently lose his appointments as captain-general of the Royal Marines, honorary air commandant of RAF Honington in Bury St Edmunds and commodore-in-chief of Small Ships and Diving at the Royal Naval Command.
These positions have remained vacant throughout the year-long review of Harry and Meghan’s living and working situation set in place by the Queen. These will likely be reassigned to other senior members of the House of Windsor if the couple does not return in a full-time capacity as working members of the family by March 31, 2021.
The Daily Express reported that the people who would likely obtain Harry’s former military accolades would include his brother, Prince William, and his aunt, Princess Anne. An insider told Express that the clan needs someone who resides in the United Kingdom full-time to represent the monarchy during formal military events.
As a result of this change, Harry will no longer be allowed to wear his military uniforms for official events or be addressed by his former titles. However, as a retired serviceman, Harry may always wear his medals, Marie Claire wrote.
The prince is reportedly not happy about relinquishing the honorary titles he held for years as a consequence of establishing a new life with Meghan and their son Archie in the United States.
Shortly after deciding to step back from his work with the clan, Prince Harry spoke during an event held in January 2020. There, he discussed the changes he had experienced since announcing his intent to shift both his personal and professional focus as a married man and father.
Town & Country reported that Harry said he hoped to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth, and his military associations without public funding from the monarchy.
“Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am,” he said.
Upon Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back, Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement on the Buckingham Palace website.
She explained that she is aware of the challenges the couple had experienced as a result of the intense scrutiny they had been under. She supported their wish for a more independent life, thanked them for their dedicated work for the Commonwealth, and added that her whole family hoped the agreement would allow the couple to start building a happy and peaceful new life.
