Prince William has a new title, and it’s sure to raise some eyebrows.
Earlier this week, King Charles III announced his eldest son would be named the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, even though it was Prince Harry who served with the unit in Afghanistan.
The Independent reports that had Harry not stepped down from his royal duties, the role, which his father held for the past 31 years, would have gone to him.
While both William and Harry are trained military pilots, it was Harry who served in the Army Air Corps during his second tour in Afghanistan.
William was not involved in active combat during his time in the military, however he did serve as a search and rescue pilot and later as an air ambulance pilot.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 10: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on July 10, 2018 in London, England. The 100th birthday of the RAF, which was founded on on 1 April 1918, was marked with a centenary parade with the presentation of a new Queen’s Colour and flypast of 100 aircraft over Buckingham Palace. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“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. 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,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.
DUESSELDORF, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 15: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex looks on during day six of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Lukas Schulze/Getty Images for Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023)
The announcement came the same day Harry arrived in the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
After much speculation, a spokesperson for the duke confirmed Harry wouldn’t be meeting with his father due to the king’s “full programme.”
“The duke, of course, is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
The last time the two saw each other was in February when Harry rushed to the UK to be by his father’s side for a reported 45 minutes after learning of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis.
Do you think the role would have gone to Harry had he not stepped down? Let us know what you think in the comments.
