Prince Harry is practically persona non grata within the royal family, and King Charles III delivering Prince William a new military role is just the latest clue.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET that William – not Harry – being appointed The Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps is a “slap in the face” to the Duke of Sussex, especially as it was Harry – not William – who served several frontline tours with the army in Afghanistan.
“For many years he served two tours in Afghanistan,” Nicholl told ET. “You know, the timing is curious. I think a lot of people will see this as a kind of slight, really, on the part of the palace, and maybe a little poke in Prince Harry’s ribs.”
The timing is that the announcement came just hours after Harry arrived in the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Gameswhich Harry founded for wounded veterans.
“Yes, he is part of the Invictus community celebrating 10 years, but he has been deprived of the right to wear his military uniform,” adds Nicholl. “And now his brother has stepped into the role that I think Harry would have hoped he would have, had he still been a working member of the royal family. So, yes, I think the moment feels poignant. And, yes, I think it’s probably more of a slap in Prince Harry’s face, and yet another reminder that he’s more out than in when it comes to the royal family.”
Perhaps adding salt to the wound is the fact that Harry will not see his father during his trip to the UK due to Her Majesty’s full plate.
“In response to the many questions and ongoing speculation about whether or not the Duke will be reunited with his father whilst in the UK this week, this will unfortunately not be possible due to Her Majesty’s full programme,” a statement said. Harry’s spokesperson told ET. “The Duke, of course, understands his father’s schedule and various other priorities and looks forward to seeing him soon.”
Harry has yet to publicly react to Charles handing William the new military role. But a source close to Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, was quoted in the royal book, Finding freedomthat being stripped of his honorary military appointments after stepping down as a senior member of the royal family in 2020 proved to be “a tough pill to swallow and one that was the most painful for Meghan to witness his passing.”
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