Prince Harry was visibly emotional, reportedly “in tears,” following the announcement by his father, King Charles, that the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps—the regiment in which Harry served during his time in Afghanistan—would be formally transferred to his brother, Prince William.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement announcing that King Charles would formally hand over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
The announcement coincided with Harry’s brief visit to London on May 8 to attend the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, a sporting event founded by him in 2014, to celebrates and supports injured servicemen and women.
According to royal author and commentator Tom Quinn, the situation is worsened by the fact that the role is being given to the very person whom Harry sees as the cause of many of his problems: his brother.
“King Charles’ announcement that Prince Harry is being stripped of his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps is a real kick in the teeth for the son who always felt marginalized and underrated,” Tom Quinn told The Mirror.
Adding: “The announcement was deliberately made during Harry’s brief visit to the U.K. to have maximum impact—it shows Harry that he really is no longer welcome.”
The royal commentator remarked that the announcement was “deliberately” made during Harry’s brief visit to the UK to signify that he “is no longer welcome.”
Quinn claimed that the senior royals were aware that the announcement would “deeply hurt” the Duke of Sussex, and he revealed that “he is said to have been in tears when he heard.”
“But they have decided the gloves are off and that Harry needs to realise 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,” he added.
“Being Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps was something Harry really did enjoy and of which he was very proud,” Quinn noted. “There is a rushed feel to the whole thing too as if they can’t wait to be rid of this troublesome prince – which is why Harry’s role will be transferred to William in just a few days’ time, on 13 May.
According to The Independent, had Harry not stepped back as a working member of the royal family, the role would likely have been given to him.
Harry stepped down as a senior royal in 2020, alongside wife Meghan Markle, and has been estranged from both his father and his brother since then.
Both royal princes, William and Harry, are trained military pilots. The Duke of Sussex served in the Army Air Corps during his second tour of Afghanistan until 2014, while his brother William, although not directly involved in active conflict, has served as a search and rescue pilot and as an air ambulance pilot.
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