King Charles III and the heir to the throne, Prince William, had a special and heartfelt moment on Monday that many believe must have caused some waterwork somewhere in Africa or California.
During a lavish ceremony, King Charles officially handed down one of the most prestigious honors to Prince William. The future King was made colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps.
The title was believed to be destined for Prince Harry because he is a decorated soldier who served two tours in Afghanistan with the Army Air Corp.
Prince Harry was part of 662 Sqn as an Apache helicopter pilot. Standing before an Apache helicopter, King Charles delivered a roaring speech about the Prince of Wales.
The King said in his brief remarks that Prince William was a great pilot and went on to add: “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.”
After being appointed colonel-in-chief, Prince William changed into military fatigue and flew in an Apache helicopter from the airbase.
Duncan Larcombe, former royal editor of The Sun and author, explained that the event was a double-edged sword for The Duke of Sussex.
He told The Daily Beast: “William’s appointment as the head of Prince Harry’s old regiment is a bitter kick in the teeth for Prince Harry. It really will have gotten under his skin as it was one of the few things he excelled at. Plus, the sight of William and his father so closely and visibly united today makes a striking parallel to the events of last week, where Charles went to great lengths to avoid being seen with Harry.”
Royal author Tom Quinn claimed Prince William’s appointment as the head of Prince Harry’s former regiment comes as a bitter surprise, a blow that cuts deep. He told The Mirror that Prince Harry was an emotional wreck upon discovering the news.
He said: “The announcement would hurt Harry; he is said to have been in tears when he heard it. But they have decided the gloves are off and that 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.”
He suggested King Charles rush to bestow the honor on Prince William as a way to hurt him.
Quinn claimed: “Being Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps was something Harry really did enjoy and was very proud of. The whole thing is rushed as if they can’t wait to be rid of this troublesome prince.”
He concluded by: “Harry feels his time in the military was a rare happy time in his life when he was judged on his merits as a man, not on his merits as a member of the Royal Family. Harry cannot fail to get the message – his last few ties to his old life are being cut, and he is being set adrift, permanently.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are trying to rebrand themselves after the royal drama.
