Since Prince Harry (38) turned his back on the British royal family and lost his royal title as a result, the post of Captain General of the Royal Navy has been vacant. On Friday, the British royal family announced that his father, King Charles III. (73) will take over his son’s former position.
The reigning monarch traditionally gives the office to a member of the royal family. King Charles III Surprisingly, he is now taking over himself – Royal experts recently suspected his sister Princess Anne (72) would step in. The royal family announced the decision on the occasion of the 358th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Navy.
In an official message to the Navy, King Charles III wrote: “It is my greatest pleasure to assume the role of Captain-General. I am exceptionally proud to be following in the footsteps of so many of my family members over the past three and a half centuries, all of whom are the role with a deep sense of admiration.” The 73-year-old gushed that he was very inspired by the Navy’s “courage, determination, self-discipline and a creditable capacity to withstand the most extreme environments.”
The monarch is very attached to the Royal Navy as a veteran. In 1972 he began training there as part of his military training. He served on the warship HMS Norfolk and two frigates before qualifying as a helicopter pilot in 1974.
The office of head of the Royal Navy was previously held by Prince Philip (1921-2021) since 1953. In 2017, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) appointed her grandson Prince Harry as the new holder of the title. When he resigned from his royal duties in 2020, he also lost his position as Captain General of the Royal Navy. Many experts initially suspected his brother Prince William (40) as the successor for the role. Recently, many voices have been raised claiming that Princess Anne is destined for the office. She would have made history as the first woman in the British royal family to hold the title.
