King Charles has stated that he will be the next Captain General of the Royal Marines, an honorary military position that the Duke of Sussex was deprived of following Megxit.
The Queen withdrew Harry’s coveted title in 2020 after he and Meghan declared their intention to step down as working royals and relocate to California.
There had been conjecture regarding which member of the Royal Family would be granted the role, with Princess Anne being heavily favoured.
The Queen nominated the Duke of Sussex as Captain General in December 2017, succeeding Prince Philip.
Today’s declaration comes after Harry released his ‘provocative’ new memoir Spare, a ‘loaded’ reference to his position as the heir to the throne’s younger brother.
“It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General. 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”.
“The Royal Marines have a distinguished and unparalleled history, both on land and at sea. I draw immense inspiration from your courage, determination, self-discipline and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments”.
“I feel greatly honoured to become part of the Corps Family and very much look forward to meeting many of you in the near future. In the meantime, this comes with my heartfelt and special wishes for a very happy 358th birthday. Per Mare, Per Terram”, King Charles said in a personal message to the Royal Marines as they mark their 358th birthday today.
In 2017, Harry succeeded the Duke of Edinburgh, who had held the position for 64 years until stepping down to pursue other interests.
However, Harry and Meghan were stripped of their prized patronages in February last year when the couple confirmed Megxit following a 12-month assessment of the Sussexes’ decision to resign as working royals.
The duke also lost his other formal roles with the military including Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands’ Small Ships and Diving.
