King Charles III has been appointed colonel-in-chief of the Corps of Royal Engineers, a title previously held by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Buckingham Palace announced the news on Tuesday 28 March, with the position hailed as a “long-standing tradition” in the royal family that began with King Edward VII in 1904.
Knowns as the Sappers, the Engineers provide global military engineering and technical support to the British Armed Forces and their allies.
Chief Royal Engineer Lieutenant General Sir Tyrone Urch said in a statement: “I am absolutely delighted that His Majesty The King has agreed to be our new Colonel-in-Chief.
“This is a great honour and continues a long-standing tradition started in 1904 by His Majesty King Edward VII.”
He added: “This wonderful news will inspire the entire Sapper family worldwide”.
During his state visit to Germany, Charles will meet representatives from the Royal Engineers in Brandenburg and view a demonstration of a wide river pontoon bridging by 23 Amphibious Engineer Squadron.
The appointment comes ahead of his and Queen Consort Camilla’s coronation on 6 May.
The ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey in London, with 2,000 guests expected to attend the “slimmed-down” event. This would be a stark contrast to the 8,000 guests present at the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
Charles will turn 74 years old in November 2022, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history.
His youngest son, Prince Harry, is currently at the High Court for the second day of a hearing over multiple privacy claims brought against the Daily Mail publishers.
Sir Elton John and actor Sadie Frost were among those in court alongside the Duke of Sussex on the first day of their High Court challenge over Associated Newspapers Ltd’s (ANL) allegedly unlawful activity at its titles.
The allegations – which are denied – include the hiring of private investigators to place listening devices inside cars and the accessing and recording of private phone conversations.
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Additional reporting by Press Association
