Buckingham Palace announced William as the new colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, coinciding with Harry’s return for the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary. Royal expert Tom Quinn now claims the timing was deliberate and that the news left the duke “in tears.”
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Prince Harry Allegedly Had An Emotional Reaction To His Military Role Being Given To His Brother
King Charles bestowed a new honor upon Prince William, making him the colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, despite Prince Harry’s previous service with the unit in Afghanistan.
However, according to royal expert Tom Quinn, Harry was emotional upon learning of the news which coincided with his return to London for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
While speaking to The Mirror, Quinn noted that the timing was deliberate, stating: “King Charles’ announcement… is a real kick in the teeth for the son who always felt marginalized and underrated. He is said to have been in tears when he heard.”
“What makes it much worse is that the role is being given to the very man who Harry sees as the cause of so many of his problems – his brother,” Quinn added.
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Royal Expert Says Prince Harry’s ‘Ties To His Old Life Are Being Cut’
According to Quinn, the timing of the announcement was a deliberate message that Harry is “no longer welcome” within the royal family.
He explained, “They [the royal family] have decided the gloves are off and that Harry needs to realize that when you betray the family, you don’t just escape the things you hated doing as a working royal, You also lose the things you loved.”
“Harry cannot fail to get the message,” the royal expert continued. “His last few ties to his old life are being cut and he is being set adrift, permanently.”
Both Harry and William are trained military pilots, but while Harry served in the Army Air Corps during his tour of Afghanistan until 2014, William’s military roles involved search and rescue and air ambulance services without active combat involvement.
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The Duke Was ‘Snubbed’ By King Charles During His UK Visit
The blow comes after Harry was “snubbed” by his father who was expected to spend time with him during his brief visit to the UK for the Invictus Games 10th anniversary. However, despite being just two miles apart, the reunion did not occur due to Charles’ purportedly “full schedule.”
It remains unclear if William’s appointment as colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps influenced this decision. Additionally, Harry missed seeing his sister-in-law, Kate, who is also battling cancer.
After Harry’s visit to the UK, he and his wife, Meghan, traveled to Nigeria for a private three-day visit to meet wounded soldiers and support local charities, as Nigeria has become part of the Invictus community.
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The royal couple was invited to visit Nigeria by its Chief of Defense Staff, Christopher Gwabin Musa, who welcomed them at a meeting on Friday held at the defense headquarters in Abuja.
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Prince Harry Praises Nigeria For Joining The Invictus Movement
Expressing appreciation for the invitation, Harry praised Nigeria for acknowledging the transformative power of sports in rehabilitating injured individuals.
According to CNN, Harry said, “You’re not the first country to notice that it not only transforms lives but saves lives. I’m eternally grateful to you all of you for joining the Invictus movement for Nigeria and for every single soul who’s been injured protecting the freedoms of Nigeria.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s participation in the recent Invictus Games held in Germany, Harry reminisced: “The team that turned up in Düsseldorf was small but mighty. They danced their way onto the stage. They won medals and danced off the stage. They were the life and soul of those games.”
He expressed a commitment to supporting the growth of the Nigerian team, adding: “Our goal now is to help you grow that team and provide as much opportunity and resource here in Nigeria and for the games that are coming at the beginning of next year.”
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Meghan Markle Calls Nigeria ‘My Country’
On day two of Meghan and Harry’s visit to Nigeria, the Duchess of Sussex joined several leading Nigerian women to discuss the importance of female leadership and empowerment in driving positive change globally.
During the chat, Meghan expressed gratitude for the “overwhelming” welcome she has received since landing in the country and opened up about her emotional journey to discover her Nigerian roots.
“I am just flattered and honored and inspired. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more color so I can fit in with all of you and your incredible fashion!” Meghan told the crowd, per People magazine.
“I am very overwhelmed. So I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country,” she continued, pausing briefly to the applause before adding, “My country.”