King Charles arrived today by helicopter for a special ceremony with Prince William where he will officially hand over command of Prince Harry’s former regiment.
The 75-year-old monarch will bestow the prestigious position of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps on his heir at the Army Aviation Center in Middle Wallop, Hampshire.
William will represent the army’s airborne wing, including his brother’s former unit: 662 Squadron.
The Duke of Sussex served with the regiment as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan and was thought to have taken on the role until he made the decision to step away from royal life.
It comes on the same day the estranged royal returns from his ‘quasi-royal’ tour in Nigeria with wife Meghan Markle.
Charles arrives by helicopter at the Army Aviation Center in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, today.
The Sussexes will return to their Montecito mansion in California after their ‘rock star’ tour.
Buckingham Palace announced last week that the King would have a joint engagement with William to hand over the role he held for 31 years to his eldest son.
Charles announced in August that William would be appointed colonel-in-chief, while giving the Princess of Wales three new roles.
A Palace spokesperson said: “At the Army Aviation Center in Middle Wallop, His Majesty The King will officially hand over the position of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
‘In August 2023, following His Majesty’s accession, the King was pleased to announce military appointments, including that the Prince of Wales would become Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
“The position was previously held by His Majesty the King, as Prince of Wales, for 31 years.”
King Charles will join Prince William today in a special ceremony where he will hand over command of Prince Harry’s former regiment to his heir (pictured here at Sandringham on Christmas Day 2023).
It comes on the same day that the estranged Duke of Sussex will return from his ‘quasi-royal’ tour in Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle.
It came just two hours after Harry’s spokesman said the King was too busy to see his youngest son during his trip to the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex was in London for three days last week, but due to the king’s busy schedule he was unable to meet his father.
Harry’s spokesperson confirmed that it was “unfortunately not possible” for the couple to reunite “due to Her Majesty’s full schedule” as he returns to public duties after undergoing cancer treatment.
After much speculation about whether the Duke would visit his father, whom he last saw in February following his shocking diagnosis, Harry’s spokesperson confirmed there was no time for a meeting.
Previously, William spent three years at the Anglesey base, taking part in 156 search and rescue missions and saving 149 people. Pictured: The then Duke of Cambridge at RAF Valley on Anglesey in 2012
The Prince and Princess of Wales have each received three new military appointments from King Charles. Pictured: William and Kate on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the RAF centenary.
William will take over as colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, which would give him command of Harry’s former unit, 662 Squadron. Pictured: Prince Harry at the Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2019
A royal commentator has claimed that Prince Harry could have been in line for the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps before stepping down as a working royal. Pictured: Harry in his Apache helicopter in Afghanistan in 2012.
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation as to whether or not the Duke will meet his father while in the UK this week, sadly it will not be possible due to Her Majesty’s full schedule,” he said.
“The Duke, of course, understands his father’s diary of engagements and other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Last night, Harry and Meghan completed the final leg of their Nigerian tour with a trip to Lagos.
The couple, visiting Nigeria together for the first time, stood on a red carpet and cheered and gasped as they were greeted with a traditional dance.
In scenes reminiscent of a presidential visit, their convoy of fourteen cars, with truck-mounted machine guns, drove from the airport to a basketball court where they met children from a local school.
They were then guests of honor at the home of the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, before ending the three-day tour by attending a charity polo match.
The Sussexes visited Nigeria as part of a promotion for Harry’s Invictus Games, the sporting event he founded for wounded military veterans.
The couple arrived last Friday in the capital, Abuja, where they visited a school to launch an event on mental health for students there on a trip in which the prince also met wounded Nigerian soldiers.
A royal commentator claimed last August that Harry himself could have been in line for the role of Colonel-in-Chief.
Harry and Mgehan attended the polo fundraising event in Lagos yesterday during their tour of Nigeria.
Several large photographs of Harry and Meghan were on display.
Meghan Markle shined yesterday in a stunning yellow dress as she and Prince Harry arrived at the state governor’s house in Lagos.
Meghan ditched her neutral style in favor of a vibrant red dress to “fit in” with Nigeria’s “amazing fashion.”
Sanwo-Olu gifted Harry and Meghan a statue of an Eyo masquerade, which represents the spirits of the dead.
Meghan appeared to be wearing an outfit made from aso oke, a fabric handwoven in southwestern Nigeria, which she had been given at a lavish lunch when the couple arrived in Lagos.
Harry and Meghan were dragged from the airport to a basketball court where they met children from a local school.
Joe Little, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told the Mirror it was “quite feasible” that if he had not left his life as a royal – something that stripped him of his honorary military appointments – he would have been awarded the title.
He said: “If Harry had still been around, he might have had more dates come his way.”
William has also become the Honorary Royal Air Commodore at RAF Valley in Wales; He previously spent three years at the Anglesey base, taking part in 156 search and rescue missions and saving 149 people.
The Prince belonged to No. 202 Squadron RAF and was considered by his colleagues to be an exceptional pilot and “one of the family.”
Although search and rescue operations were privatized in 2016, RAF Valley remains a training center for fast aircraft pilots and crews.
He has also added Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment to his growing list of military commitments.
