King Charles officially gives heir Prince William his colonel-in-chief role despite it being Harry’s old Army regiment – as row breaks out over ‘who was avoiding whom’ during duke’s flying visit to Britain
King Charles today held his first joint engagement with Prince William since 2022 and gave him command of Prince Harry’s former Army regiment just as the Sussexes landed in the UK from Nigeria.
His Majesty has made his eldest son and heir Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps – the combat aviation arm of the British Army – at a ceremony at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire this afternoon.
Father and son laughed as Charles handed William an Army Air Corps beret and belt as the Prince of Wales took on his younger brother’s former unit – the 662 Squadron – on the day Harry left Nigeria after a three-day pseudo-royal tour with his wife Meghan.
The Duke of Sussex served with 662 Sqn as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, and it was widely thought he would have taken the role until he made the decision to step back from royal life in 2020 and emigrate to the US.
But in a speech in front of an Apache helicopter today, Charles did not mention Harry, who flew the same aircraft in Afghanistan during two tours of duty. Instead he said William was a ‘very good pilot indeed’ – before sparking laughter by saying: ‘So that’s encouraging’.
The King said: ‘I do hope you’ll go from strength to strength with the Prince of Wales as your new Colonel-in-Chief. I can’t tell you how proud it has made me to have been involved with you all this time’.
The ceremony was just before the Sussexes were due to land at London Heathrow this afternoon on a British Airways flight from Abuja and are expected to board a plane to Los Angeles so they can be reunited with Archie and Lilibet in Montecito late tonight or tomorrow.
Last week Harry spent three days in London to mark the ten-year anniversary of the Invictus Games – but was unable to meet with his father because of the King’s packed diary.
It has reportedly led to briefing and counter-briefing on both sides about why their paths never crossed. One source close to the King redeployed the famous phrase coined by the Queen about Harry and Meghan after Megxit, that ‘recollections may vary’, after a Sussex source told The Sunday Times: ‘I was fully expecting them to meet. I know that’s what he [Harry] wanted to happen’.
It came as King Charles today revealed he has lost his sense of taste during his ongoing cancer treatment.
King Charles III makes Prince William Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps today. William took on his younger brother’s former unit – the 662 Squadron – just as Harry left Nigeria after a three-day tour with his wife Meghan
Charles and William at the Army Aviation Centre for the rare joint ceremony
Charles and William were at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, this afternoon
The Prince of Wales speaks with service personnel after donning his uniform
A younger Prince Harry in front of an Apache he flew in Afghanistan
Kensington Palace put out this tweet to mark the occasion today
Harry needed to give 28 days’ warning to the King and the Home Office to request security arrangements for his stay, which began last Tuesday and ended on Friday when he met Meghan at Heathrow and flew to Nigeria.
The Sunday Times spoke to people close to the Sussexes who said Harry’s London visit was ‘long on the radar’ for the Palace.
‘I can’t imagine that request [from the Duke] fell through the gaps. Even if they didn’t get a request, which I don’t believe, could His Majesty not have made a request to see his son? It was widely known he was coming’, one insider said.
Another source told the newspaper: ‘It surprises me a lot. I was fully expecting them to meet. I know that’s what he wanted to happen and I don’t know when he’s next back.’
But friends of the King have questioned the analysis from the Sussex camp, using the famous phrase coined by the Queen about the Sussexes, that ‘recollections may vary’.
‘While it is true that the King is understandably wary about meeting with Harry, given the publicity circus that seems to surround all such visits, he did of course agree to see his son at the most vulnerable moment of his illness and at very short notice,’ a source said.
Charles arrives by helicopter at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, today
Charles and William at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, this afternoon
Charles and William smile during the ceremony
Britain’s King Charles III speaks as he stands by helicopters at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire
King Charles III meets staff members and their families at the Army Aviation Centre today
King Charles III arrives at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, today
‘While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment this Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on his treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diarywell, let’s say recollections may vary once again.’
As well as the row over why Harry and Charles failed to meet, there will have bee n further salt in the wound because today’s engagement with the King and William was being confirmed while Harry was in the UK.
The rare joint engagement for Charles and William comes on the same day the estranged Harry is jetting back from his ‘quasi-royal’ tour in Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle.
The Sussexes will head back to their Montecito mansion in California following their ‘rock star’ tour.
Buckingham Palace announced last week that the King would have a joint engagement with William to pass on the role he held for 31 years to his eldest son.
Charles announced in August last year that William would be appointed as Colonel-in-Chief, while also granting the Princess of Wales three new roles.
A royal spokesperson said: ‘At the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, 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.’
King Charles will today meet Prince William at a special ceremony where he will hand over command to his heir of Prince Harry’s former regiment (Pictured here in Sandringham on Christmas Day 2023)
It comes on the same day the estranged Duke of Sussex will jet back from his ‘quasi-royal’ tour in Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle
It came just two hours after Harry’s spokesman said the King was too busy to see his youngest son during his whistlestop trip to the UK to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex was in London for three days last week but# due to the King’s busy schedule was unable to meet his father.
Harry’s spokesperson confirmed that it was ‘unfortunately not possible’ for the pair to meet ‘due to His Majesty’s full programme’, as he returns to public duties after undergoing treatment for cancer.
Following much speculation over whether the Duke would pop in to visit his father, who he last saw in February following his shocking diagnosis, Harry’s spokesperson confirmed there was no time for a reunion.
William previously spent three years at the base on Anglesey, taking part in 156 search and rescue missions and saving 149 people. Pictured: The then-Duke of Cambridge at RAF Valley in Anglesey in 2012
The Prince and Princess of Wales have both been given three new military appointments each by King Charles. Pictured: William and Kate on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the RAF centenary
William is taking over as Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps, which would give him command over Harry’s former unit, 662 Squadron. Pictured: Prince Harry at the Founder’s Day Parade at Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2019
One royal commentator has claimed Prince Harry could have been in line for the role of Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps before quitting as a working royal. Pictured: Harry in his apache helicopter in Afghanistan in 2012
‘In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme,’ he said.
‘The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.’
Last night, Harry and Meghan completed the last leg of the tour of Nigeria with a trip to Lagos.
The couple, visiting Nigeria together for the first time, stood on a red carpet and applauded and gasped as they were greeted with a traditional dance.
In scenes reminiscent of a presidential visit, their fourteen car convoy – complete with machine guns mounted on trucks – swept from the airport to a basketball court where they met children from a local school.
They were then guests of honour at the State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s house, before rounded off the three-day tour by attending a charity polo match.
The Sussexes visited Nigeria as part of a promotion of Harry’s Invictus Games, the sporting event he founded for wounded military veterans.
The couple arrived last Friday in the capital Abuja where they visited a school to open an event on mental health for students there in a trip that also saw the prince meet wounded Nigerian soldiers.
One royal commentator claimed last August Harry himself could have been in line for the role as Colonel-in-Chief.
Harry and Mgehan attending the polo fundraiser event in Lagos yesterday while on their tour of Nigeria
There were several large photographs of Harry and Meghan on show
Meghan Markle glowed in a stunning yellow dress yesterday as she and Prince Harry arrived at the State Governor house in Lagos
Meghan ditched her neutral style in favour of a vibrant red dress in order to ‘fit in’ with Nigeria ‘s ‘incredible fashion’
Mr Sanwo-Olu presented Harry and Meghan with a statue of an Eyo masquerade – which represents the spirits of the dead
Meghan appeared to be wearing an outfit made of aso oke – a hand-woven cloth from south-west Nigeria – which she had been gifted at a lavish lunch when the couple arrived in Lagos
Harry and Meghan were swept from the airport to a basketball court where they met children from a local school
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, told the Mirror it was ‘quite feasible’ that if he hadn’t quit life as a working royal – something that saw him stripped of his honorary military appointments – he might have been given the title.
He said: ‘Had Harry still been around he might well have had more appointments going his way.’
William has also become the Royal Honorary Air Commodore at RAF Valley in Wales – he previously spent three years at the base on Anglesey, taking part in 156 search and rescue missions and saving 149 people.
The Prince belonged to the RAF’s 202 Squadron with colleagues regarding him as an outstanding pilot and as ‘one of the family’.
Though search and rescue operations were privatised in 2016, RAF Valley remains a training facility for fast jet pilots and crews.
He has also added Colonel-in-Chief of The Mercian Regiment to his growing list of military commitments.
