Casting Prince William in the role of the new generation of the monarchy, King Charles III has recently joined him at an official event, where he formally promoted him to the position of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps. This appointment has been described by a royal expert as a “bitter blow” to Prince Harry.
King Charles arrived by helicopter for the special ceremony, where he officially handed over command of the military’s airborne unit to William. This unit holds particular significance for Prince Harry, who flew Apaches as part of the Air Corps during his deployment in Afghanistan. Given Harry’s association with the regiment, there had been speculation that he might take over as its patron. However, Harry’s departure from his role as a working member of the royal family in 2020 altered these expectations.
The palace announced last year that Prince William would be appointed to the role, and the decision to formalize the handover was made public just a week ago. This coincided with the Duke of Sussex’s revelation that his father had declined to meet him during his visit to the UK due to a full schedule. At the military flying center in Sandhurst, His Majesty the King officially handed over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, in August 2023. Following his 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 many years, a palace spokesperson said in a statement last week.
Recently, royal journalist Robert Hardman highlighted that Prince William fears a second book from Prince Harry could reveal more secrets. “The issue right now is there is still a trust problem. People are still very hurt, especially Prince William, that these personal, private, family moments all came out in Harry’s book,” Hardman said.
This appointment and the visible unity between King Charles and Prince William underscore the ongoing complexities within the royal family and the evolving roles of its members.
