King Charles and Prince William had a royal engagement together today, during which the monarch gave The Prince of Wales command of Prince Harry’s old army regiment.
There Was No Mention Of Harry At The Event
William is now Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps. A ceremony was held at the Army Aviation Centre in Hampshire earlier this afternoon.
This was the King and Willam’s first joint engagement together since 2022. The last official joint royal engagement between Charles and William was shortly after Queen Elizabeth passed, and they met the public during a walkabout.
At this Army Aviation Center event, no one even heard a small mention of The Duke of Sussex. This royal engagement shows unity between father and son and a potential snub to Harry.
Harry completed two tours of Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter commander and co-pilot gunner. However, Prince William’s military career is not too shabby, either.
He served in the Army as a Platoon Commander in The Blues and Royals. Afterward, he completed flying training in the Royal Air Force. He also worked as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot.
William As New Colonel-In-Chief
During Charles’s speech, he said that handing over the title to William gave him “great joy, tinged with great sadness” because the King’s time with them had come to an end. The role had belonged to Charles for more than thirty years.
“I do hope you’ll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new Colonel-in-Chief. I can’t tell you how proud it has made me to have been involved with you all this time.”
William sported his new uniform and a blue beret prior to receiving a box of gifts. He was given an Army Corp tartan wrap for Kate Middleton, a new scarf, and three adorable little wooden helicopters for Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte.
William was then briefed on the AAC’s work. He changed into a combat uniform to inspect training and left the base at Middle Wallop when he flew off in a helicopter.
The event marks Charles’s return to his public duties. The King spent time with military personnel and their families and greeted the children from the Middle Wallop School, and they have parents who are serving in the Army.
A Father And Son Divided
During the ceremony, Charles and William came together at the Middle Wallop Control Tower, and the King handed over the AAC beret and stable belt to William.
Harry was in the UK last week, and everyone thought his father might see him. The Sunday Times spoke to a source close to Harry and Meghan Markle, and they said,
“Harry’s London visit was long on the radar for the Palace. I can’t imagine that request (from the Duke to see his father) fell through the gaps. Even if they didn’t get a request, could His Majesty not have requested to see his son? It was widely known he was coming.”
A source close to the King argued,
“While it is true that the King is understandably wary about meeting with Harry, given the publicity circus that seems to surround all such visits, he did, of course, he did of course, agree to see his son at the most vulnerable moment of his illness and at very short notice. While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment the Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diary, let’s say recollections may vary once again.”
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