Prince Harry ‘in tears’ after King Charles bestows military honour on Prince William

Prince Harry was reduced to tears after learning King Charles bestowed a new honour upon Prince William, a royal expert has claimed.

Prince Harry was reduced to tears after learning that his father, King Charles III, had bestowed a new military honour upon his brother, Prince William, a royal expert claims.

Buckingham Palace announced Prince William, 41, will be made colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps – despite Prince Harry, 39, having personally served with the unit in Afghanistan.

Prince Harry sitting in the cockpit of an Apache Helicopter during his stint as a gunner in Afghanistan. Picture: AFP

Prince Harry at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan where he served with 662 Sqd Army Air Corps. Picture: AFP

The announcement last week came on the same day that Prince Harry returned to London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

“King Charles’ announcement… is a real kick in the teeth for the son who always felt marginalised and underrated,” royal expert Tom Quinn told The Mirror. “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 claimed that the announcement was “deliberately” made while Harry was in the UK to show that the King’s younger son “is no longer welcome.”

“They [the royal family] have decided the gloves are off and that Harry needs to realise that when you betray the family, you don’t just escape the things you hated doing as a working royal,” the expert asserted. “You also lose the things you loved.”

“Harry cannot fail to get the message,” Quinn added.

“His last few ties to his old life are being cut and he is being set adrift, permanently.”

Princes William (L) and Harry stand during a photocall at RAF (Royal Air Force) Shawbury near Shrewsbury, central England in 2009. Picture: AFP

Both Prince William and Prince Harry are trained military pilots.

Harry served in the Army Air Corps during his second tour of Afghanistan up until 2014.

While Prince William has not seen active combat, he has served as a search and rescue pilot and as an air ambulance pilot.

Prince Harry did not see his father King Charles on his latest visit to the UK. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Prince Harry did not spend time with cancer-stricken King Charles upon his return to the UK and the King entertained guests just 5km away as Harry attended the Invictus Games ceremony.

Charles Spencer, Harry’s maternal uncle and the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, did show up at the Invictus Games ceremony as a support.

Video Screengrabs of Prince Harry and Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer during The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul's Cathedral. Picture: Instagram

It’s unclear whether Prince William being made colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps was behind the decision. Harry did not meet with William on this trip, either.

Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, stepped down as a senior royal in 2020 and expatriated himself to North America, and has been estranged from both his father and his brother since that time. The rift has been exacerbated by Harry’s publication of his memoir, Spare, and by various high profile media interviews criticising the royal family.

Prince Harry was once known to be close to William, and his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton but he did not see her during his visit.

Originally published as Prince Harry ‘in tears’ after King Charles bestows military honour on Prince William