King Charles III's New Role for Prince William Is Sparking Controversy
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Originally appeared on E! Online
Prince William has a new job—sort of.
King Charles III bestowed his eldest son with the title Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps May 13, a title the monarch himself held for 32 years. However, the move was not without its controversy as Prince Harry was more closely tied to the Army Air Corps.
The 39-year-old trained as an Army Air Corps pilot in 2009 and served with them during his second tour in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013. Over his 10 years of military service, he rose to the rank of Apache helicopter commander and was known as Captain Harry Wales. He was even named best front-seat pilot by the British Defense Ministry in 2012, beating out more than 20 of his fellow Apache helicopter pilots.
However, while William did not served with the Army Air Corps, the 41-year-old does have plenty of pilot experience—he was a Royal Air Force rescue pilot, and also served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017—which is something King Charles made sure to note during his speech at the ceremony.
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"I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief," he said during the ceremony at the Army Aviation Centre, according to the BBC. "The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed. So that's encouraging."
Harry, meanwhile has been celebrating his fellow veterans as he marked 10 years of the Invictus Games—a sporting event for sick, wounded active and former service members—with an event in London before heading to Nigeria with wife Meghan Markle. But amid his recent trip to his hometown, the Duke of Sussex wasn't able to reunite with his father or brother.
"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," a spokesperson for Harry said in a statement to E!, "it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty's full program."
For more on the British royal family—and royals across the globe—keep reading.
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