Prince Harry’s royal role as a Captain General for the Royal marines has been fulfilled by his father, King Charles, starting today. At the ceremonial anniversary held on Friday the 28th of October, the king announced that the Royal Marines will once more have a ceremonial head named King Charles.
The Corps of Royal Marines was formed in 1664 when King Charles II ruled the throne. This year, the marines celebrated the 358th anniversary of the founding of their unit. In 2020, Prince Harry left the position vacant, and moved to the United States to pursue a different career. The Prince left the position as the ceremonial head in February 2021 and it was vacant until now. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles, the patronages reverted to the late Queen Elizabeth.
The Royal Marines Have A New Captain – King Charles Takes On The Role Once Held By Prince Harry
Prince Harry in particular lost three honorary military titles. He once was the Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington, and Commodore-in-Chief. As a result, Prince Harry can no longer wear a military uniform. We saw that during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. Most of his family members wore uniforms, however, Prince Harry wore a simple civil black suit and tie.
“The uniform he wears doesn’t determine his decade of military service. We respectfully ask that focus remains on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” – a royal family fan noticed in a comment below the news of Prince Harry’s stepping down from his role.
The Prince took over the role in 2017 directly from his grandfather Prince Phillip. The latter served as a Captain General for almost 70 years.
King Charles announced his taking over the role on the 358th anniversary of the forming of the Royal Marines. As expected, the King held a lengthy speech. He continuously praised the marines for their service and expressed his honor to take on the role.
“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 King said in the statement. “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 honored to become part of the Corps Family. Furthermore, I 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.”
