King Charles Confers Prestigious New Title To Prince William Which Was Believed To Be Reserved For Prince Harry

May 10, 2024

Prince Harry and Meghan announced to the world on Jan. 8, 2020, that they would step down as senior working members of the British royal family in a move popularly dubbed “Megxit.” By spring of 2020, the transition was complete, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were no longer performing royal duties. 

Since then, they have lived in the United States with Meghan’s mother and their two children. Although Harry and Meghan stepped down from their duties as senior royals, they have not shunned the spotlight, appearing at public charity events and pursuing their own creative and philanthropic ventures, many under their brand, Archewell Foundation.

However, tensions between their small family and the royals have grown and created a wall between them. Scrutiny of Harry and Meghan has intensified, and people have started expressing their disdain for every move and decision they make, especially toward their children’s — Archie and Lilibet — lives.

With reports that Harry, Meghan, and the children are returning to the United Kingdom for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, chatter on the Sussexes’ departure has since reemerged. This was further exacerbated by the budding anticipation of whether the Sussexes would meet the cancer-stricken King Charles and Kate Middleton during their visit to the United Kingdom. 

However, things aren’t going in Prince Harry’s favor. On the same day that Harry arrived in the United Kingdom, his father, King Charles, decided to confer a prestigious military title to Prince William, which was believed to have been reserved for Harry. Keep reading to learn more about the shakeup. 

On April 9, 2024, a royal insider revealed to Page Six that there had been talk of King Charles possibly extending an olive branch to Prince Harry and Meghan so that he could reunite with his grandchildren. 

“I can see Charles desperately wanting to see the children, and extending this olive branch to Meghan and Harry. He may decide that life is just too short,” the insider claimed to the outlet. “Balmoral is truly the perfect, restful place for a reunion. If he does issue an invite, then Harry and Meghan should surely agree to the visit.”

However, Prince Harry’s spokesperson stated that a meeting between Harry and Charles wouldn’t be possible.  

"In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program. The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon,” the spokesperson shared. 

People expressed their frustration on social media following the unfortunate news. 

“That’s absolutely unforgivable, that a Dad can’t prioritize his son. King or not!!!” a user shared on X, formerly Twitter. 

“Harry deserves better. Shame on #KingCharles. He treated #PrincessDiana terrible as well. #TheWholeWorldIsWatching,” another wrote. 

“Shameful… but Prince Harry can sleep well at night. He has reached out numerous times.” a user echoed. 

“While I understand that Charles has a full schedule along with chemo treatments, it is a shame that the royal family can't put their differences aside at trying times like these and make amends. The people that lose out are the children. It's not their fault that their parents and other adults are acting like children. Time to grow up,” a fan wrote on Facebook. 

On May 7, 2024, the same day Prince Harry arrived in the United Kingdom, King Charles made a surprising announcement that would snub his youngest son of a military title he was presumed to receive. As Harper’s Bazaar quoted, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles named Prince William the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a title reported to be reserved for Prince Harry. The title will be officially transferred on May 13, 2024, at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop. 

The palace's statement read, “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.”

Royal expert Tom Quinn told The Mirror that Harry, who famously served with the corps in Afghanistan, was “left in tears” after his older brother was given the title. 

“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,” Quinn said. "Having always hated being the spare in terms of the succession he now finds that one of the few important roles he had as the younger brother has now been handed over to the person Harry himself described as his nemesis. 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."

The palace reported in April 2024 that the cancer-stricken Kate was awarded the Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour title, while Prince William was conferred the Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. 

What can you say about King Charles’ decision to confer Prince William the title that was believed to be for Prince Harry? Do you think Charles should meet his son, Prince Harry? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other loved ones out there.