Gina Heslop
At the start of last month, an important event took place for the British royal family. Prince Harry traveled to London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. While he was in the UK, his brother, Prince William, received a significant new honor from King Charles III. Many people saw the timing as a deliberate snub to Prince Harry.
The Palace announced that King Charles III appointed Prince William as the colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps. The official statement read, “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Royal expert Tom Quinn revealed that Prince Harry was “in tears when he heard” the news. Quinn explained, “What makes it much worse is that the role is being given to the very man who Harry sees as the cause of so many of his problems – his brother.” Quinn also suggested that the announcement was made during Harry’s visit to the UK to have the maximum impact, signaling that Harry is no longer welcome.
Prince William’s new role means he now oversees Harry’s former unit. In 2008, Harry completed his Army Air Corps “Grading” and Pilot’s Selection Board interview, and in 2009, he trained as an Army Air Corps pilot.
Harry’s official biography, before it was removed from the royal family website, stated, “On successful completion of that Army Pilots Course, Prince Harry was selected to train on the Apache Attack Helicopter.”
On the same day, it was announced that Prince Harry received his provisional wings from his father, making the ceremony especially meaningful for Harry, as Charles was the colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps at the time.
The announcement about Prince William’s new role came at a time of increased public interest, partly due to the tense relationship between Prince Harry and his father, King Charles.
Speculation about their interactions, or lack thereof, during Harry’s visit to the UK highlights the complexities of their relationship. During this visit, Harry and King Charles did not meet because of the king’s “full program.” However, Harry expressed a hope to see his father soon.
Despite the strained relationships within the royal family, Harry was happy to return to the UK. He described the Invictus Games celebration as “amazing” and praised the work of Scotty’s, a charity supporting children.
Harry emphasized the importance of these events, saying, “The more opportunity you get to do these kinds of events, the more the families and kids know this place exists, which is really the most important thing,” as reported by the BBC.
