King Charles has made a pretty pointed move vis-à-vis Prince Harry.
On Tuesday, the monarch announced that the role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, the regiment in which Harry served in Afghanistan, would be officially passed onto Prince William.
"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," a statement from Buckingham Palace read (via Harper's Bazaar).
"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."
According to the Independent, the role would have likely gone to Harry had he not stepped down from his royal duties.
While Harry hasn't been a working royal since 2020, it's the timing of the announcement that's raising eyebrows: It was made on the same day that Harry not only landed in the U.K., but also shared that his father had declined to meet him due to his busy agenda—a move that is largely being viewed as a "snub." The duke has also reportedly not spoken to William in months, making the timing of the announcement feel all the more deliberate.
It's not the first time that the timing of one of the King's decisions concerning Harry has felt like a dig at the duke: In 2023, Charles reportedly told the Sussexes he was evicting them from Frogmore Cottage the day after Harry's memoir Spare was released.
While it briefly looked like a reconciliation was on the cards for Charles and Harry, this latest blow feels like we may have been too speedy in assuming so.
