King Charles IIl's Decision to Take Over Prince Harry's Important Former Title Comes With Very Awkward Timing

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King Charles III has given himself a royal appointment, one that was formally occupied by his son, Prince Harry. Charles is now the Captain General of the Royal Marines — and the timing is just a bit awkward.

“It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General,” King Charles said in a statement on Friday. “I am exceptionally proud to follow in the footsteps of so many members of my family over the last three-and-a-half centuries, all of whom held the role with a deep sense of admiration.” Harry lost his beloved patronage and his honorary military titles as a part of his exit from his senior royal position in 2020. It’s no secret that the Duke of Sussex takes great pride in his military service, especially his two tours in Afghanistan.

During Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Harry was instructed not to wear his military uniform to any events surrounding the official mourning period. Charles faced quite a bit of backlash for that decision, and Harry, along with Prince Andrew, were only permitted to wear their military regalia for a vigil for Elizabeth. A source told Us Weekly that Harry had already “come to terms with not wearing uniform on these occasions,” which was “disappointing,” but “at the end of the day, it’s only a uniform.”

This move by Charles might hurt Harry a bit, but he’s busy leading a life outside of the palace walls. The next hurdle the father-son relationship faces is the content in Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries and the Duke of Sussex’s memoir, Spare. It’s going to be a fascinating winter to see how the next chapter of the royal drama unfolds.

Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.

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