King Charles Just Gave Himself A Title Prince Harry Once Held

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down from their positions as working royals and moved to the United States in what the British media dubbed "Megxit," the couple gave up several privileges afforded to royals of their station. For instance, in early 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that per the orders of then-Queen Elizabeth II, Harry and Meghan would lose their patronages and honorary titles (via The Washington Post).

"Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," the palace said in a statement at the time.

Among these titles that the couple had to give up in order to live out their plans of raising a family in California away from the pressures of royal life, was Prince Harry's honorary position as Captain General of the Royal Marines.

Now, another member of Harry's family has taken up the title himself: his father, King Charles III.  

Since Harry gave up the title of Captain General of the Royal Marines, there has been a great deal of speculation about which member of the royal family would adopt the role, as the late Queen Elizabeth II specified it needed to be held by a working royal. Most assumed it would go to Princess Anne. But today, everyone was surprised to learn who has actually taken on the role. 

Just one day after the announcement that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is releasing his memoir, controversially titled "Spare," King Charles announced that he has taken on the title of Captain General of the Royal Marines, the title which once belonged to Harry (via Daily Mail). In a message to the Royal Marines in celebration of the unit's 358th year, The King stated, "It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General. 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."

He went on to say, "'I feel greatly honoured to become part of the Corps Family and very much look forward to meeting many of you in the near future."

It was widely rumored that when Harry lost this particular title, due to his own years of military service, he was deeply saddened. But the Duke of Sussex has not released any type of statement related to the news that his father has taken on the role (via Daily Mail). Instead, at this time, Harry is getting plenty of press for his upcoming memoir, which is slated to be released on January 10, 2023 (via The New York Times). The title, "Spare" refers to the age-old idea that kingdoms need both an "heir and a spare." In Harry's case, the heir, of course, is his older brother, William Prince of Wales, making Harry himself the "spare."

Promising to tell his own story in his own words, the upcoming book is likely the first place fans will be able to learn about the Duke of Sussex's true feelings regarding things like giving up his patronages and titles when choosing to move his family across the pond. Harry's upcoming book is the first installment of a multi-book deal with publisher Penguin Random House (via The New York Times). The Duke of Sussex is rumored to have made $20 million via this book contract, as it is expected to be an instant best seller.