The King has announced that he will be the next Captain General of the Royal Marines, an honorary military position that the Duke of Sussex was stripped of following Megxit.
The Queen removed Harry’s prestigious title in 2020 after he and Meghan announced their intention to step down as working royals and relocate to California.
Princess Anne had been mentioned as a frontrunner for the position when it came to rumours regarding which Royal Family member would be given the post.
In December 2017, the Duke of Sussex succeeded Prince Philip as Captain General under the Queen.
The announcement made today follows Harry’s ‘provocative’ new memoir Spare, which he called “loaded” given that he is the younger brother of the heir to the throne.
The King addressed the Royal Marines in a message on the occasion of their 358th birthday today, saying, “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 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.”
Harry took over from the Duke of Edinburgh in 2017, who had held the position for 64 years before stepping down after retiring from public service.
But in February of last year, after a year-long review of the Sussexes’ decision to leave the working royal family, Harry and Meghan were stripped of their esteemed patronages.
However, in February of last year, Harry and Meghan were stripped of their prestigious patronages after the couple confirmed Megxit was permanent following a year-long review of the Sussexes’ decision to resign as working royals.
Along with losing his official military positions, the duke also lost his honorary positions as Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands’ Small Ships and Diving and Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington.
