Why King Charles III's New Military Role for Prince William Is Sparking Controversy

Prince William has a new job—sort of.

King Charles III bestowed his eldest son with the title Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps May 13, a title the monarch himself held for 32 years. However, the move was not without its controversy as Prince Harry was more closely tied to the Army Air Corps.

The 39-year-old trained as an Army Air Corps pilot in 2009 and served with them during his second tour in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013. Over his 10 years of military service, he rose to the rank of Apache helicopter commander and was known as Captain Harry Wales. He was even named best front-seat pilot by the British Defense Ministry in 2012, beating out more than 20 of his fellow Apache helicopter pilots.

However, while William did not served with the Army Air Corps, the 41-year-old does have plenty of pilot experience—he was a Royal Air Force rescue pilot, and also served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017—which is something King Charles made sure to note during his speech at the ceremony.

"I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief," he said during the ceremony at the Army Aviation Centre, according to the BBC. "The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed. So that's encouraging."

Harry, meanwhile has been celebrating his fellow veterans as he marked 10 years of the Invictus Games—a sporting event for sick, wounded active and former service members—with an event in London before heading to Nigeria with wife Meghan Markle. But amid his recent trip to his hometown, the Duke of Sussex wasn't able to reunite with his father or brother.

"In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week," a spokesperson for Harry said in a statement to E!, "it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty's full program."

For more on the British royal family—and royals across the globe—keep reading.

On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties. 

The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition.

In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored. 

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.

“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."

After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.

The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.

The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.

While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.

"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."

The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th. 

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."

"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!

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