Earlier this week, King Charles III announced that his eldest son, Prince William, has been appointed as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps. This decision has raised some eyebrows, considering it was Prince Harry who served with the unit in Afghanistan. The role had been held by King Charles for the past 31 years, and it was expected to go to Harry if he had not stepped down from his royal duties.

While both William and Harry are trained military pilots, it was Harry who served in the Army Air Corps during his second tour in Afghanistan. On the other hand, William was not involved in active combat but served as a search and rescue pilot and later as an air ambulance pilot. The decision to give William the title of Colonel-in-Chief has sparked discussions among royal watchers.

According to a statement released by Kensington Palace, “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 announcement coincided with Harry’s visit to the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. While there was speculation about Harry meeting his father, it was revealed that Harry wouldn’t be able to due to the king’s full schedule. However, the duke understands his father’s commitments and hopes to see him soon.

Harry and Charles last saw each other in February, when Harry rushed to the UK to be with his father for a brief meeting after learning of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. This recent decision regarding the military title has left people wondering if things would have been different had Harry not stepped down from his royal duties.

What are your thoughts on this situation? Let us know in the comments.

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