Prince Harry was bitterly humiliated last week after his brother Prince William was named Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps. A royal insider said that the timing of the appointment sent a « clear message » to the Duke of Sussex that he was now « just another outsider ».
King Charles personally handed over the prestigious role to his son, the Prince of Wales, in a bitter blow to Harry. The appointment means that William is now the head of Harry’s old army unit. The symbolic ceremony, which took place in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, saw William change into military fatigues and fly in an Apache helicopter from the airbase. Charles praised his son as a « very good pilot indeed ».
He added: “I do hope you’ll go from strength to strength 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.”
The joint trip was the first time William and Charles appeared together since the monarch was diagnosed with cancer, in a clear show of royal unity.
Speaking to the Daily Beast, a royal insider said that the timing of the move – just days after WCharles both snubbed a meeting with Harry – was the « final nail in the coffin ».
The insider said: “Harry has been stripped of security, stripped of his HRH title, denied a meeting with his father, and now his brother—who loathes him—is being made head of his old regiment.
« He was not deliberately humiliated last week, but his lack of significance as a member of the royal family was highlighted.
« It’s notable that the king didn’t send a message of support for Harry’s celebration of ten years of the Invictus Games—and even more notable that he found time to meet David Beckham but not his own son.
« Making William head of the Army Air Corps was previously announced, but the timing of the handover is the final nail in the coffin. The message that he is now just another outsider could not be any clearer.”
The timing of the ceremony follows a back-and-forth between the Palace and the Sussexes over the hospitality offered to Harry during his brief visit to London. A royal source pushed back against Harry’s public claim that his dad had declined to meet him. They told The Sunday Times that Charles had agreed to Harry’s request to stay in a royal residence during his visit but that Harry had opted to stay in a hotel, instead.
Source link
