Prince William’s New Military Role Under King Charles Was Allegedly Reserved for Prince Harry

Reportedly King Charles III has transferred a military position he had for thirty years to Prince William. In a military ceremony at the Army Aviation Centre in Hampshire on Monday, May 13, King Charles granted his oldest son the rank of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps. Since it was commonly believed that Prince Harry was the intended recipient of the title, the appointment has caused controversy. 

The announcement of the ceremony last week coincided with Harry's short trip to the United Kingdom to attend the Invictus Games Foundation's 10th anniversary celebration on May 8 at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. As reported by EOnline, after completing his training as an Army Air Corps pilot in 2009, Harry flew with them from 2012 to 2013 on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Known as Captain Harry Wales, he had served in the military for ten years, rising to the rank of Apache helicopter commander. Outperforming over twenty of his fellow Apache helicopter pilots, he was even selected top front-seat pilot by the British Defense Ministry in 2012.

While William did not serve in the Army Air Corps, King Charles made sure to mention in his speech at the ceremony that the 41-year-old has a wealth of flying experience. As per BBC, he stated, "I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief. The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed. So that's encouraging."

The appointment of William, not Harry, as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps is a 'slap in the face' to the Duke of Sussex, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl, who spoke with ET almost a week ago. The expert claimed, "For many years he served two tours in Afghanistan. You know, the timing is curious. I think many people will see that as a bit of a snub, really, from the palace, and perhaps a little bit of a poke in the ribs to Prince Harry." This announcement came Shortly after Harry traveled to the UK to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games. The expert went on to call the timing of the announcement 'poignant'.

Nicholl further added, "Yes, he's over here part of the Invictus community celebrating 10 years, but he's been stripped of his right to wear his military uniform. And now his brother's taken over the role that I think Harry would have expected to have come to him, had he still been a working member of the royal family. So, yes, I think the timing does feel poignant. And, yes, I think it's probably another slap in the face for Prince Harry, and yet another reminder that he's very much out rather than in when it comes to the royal family." In 2020, Harry resigned from his position as a senior working royal. Subsequently, Harry and his spouse Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, relocated to California with their two young children, Archie and Lilibet, and achieved financial stability by assuming new positions in the entertainment and charitable sectors.