King Charles has conferred a significant military honour on Prince William, naming him Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a role previously held by Prince Harry, according to the Mirror. This move comes shortly after Harry's brief visit to the UK, during which he did not meet with his father.
At the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, the formal handover ceremony was marked by a mix of pride and melancholy. Speaking inside the Army Flying Museum, King Charles, 75, remarked, "What a great joy it is to be here on this occasion, but it is also tinged with great sadness after 32 years of knowing you all and admiring your many activities and your achievements.” He also assured attendees that the regiment would be in "safe hands" with Prince William, highlighting his piloting skills.
During the visit, the King interacted with veteran Aaron Mapplebeck, who shared his experience of undergoing chemotherapy last year. King Charles empathized with Aaron's loss of taste, a side effect of the treatment, revealing he had experienced the same.
The announcement of Prince William's new role has been perceived as a blow to Prince Harry, who served in the regiment during his military career. Royal expert Michael Cole described the move as "quite a snub," especially since it coincided with Harry’s trip to Nigeria with his wife, Meghan.
Tom Quinn, a royal expert and author, told the Mirror that the decision felt like "a real kick in the teeth" for Harry, who has often felt marginalized. Quinn suggested that the timing of the announcement was deliberate, intended to have maximum impact during Harry's UK visit. He claimed senior royals knew the decision would deeply hurt Harry, emphasizing that this move signals Harry is no longer welcome within the royal fold.
Quinn added, "The gloves are off, and Harry needs to realize that when you betray the family, you don’t just escape the things you hated doing as a working royal. You also lose the things you loved."
