Earlier this year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they have decided to step back from being senior royals. And just like any decisions out there, their choice came with a price as well.
Aside from losing their HRH titles, Prince Harry had to let go of his military appointments. Now, a new report claims that Prince Philip has already chosen a royal to replace the Duke of Sussex as captain-general of the Royal Marines.
Sunday Times reported that Princess Anne will be replacing Prince Harry as captain-general of the Royal Marines. The Princess Royal is the aunt of the Duke of Sussex, and the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. She is, reportedly, her father’s first choice for the job.
Princess Anne is associated with 65 military associations and is considered as one of the most hardworking members of the royal family. In 2019 alone, the Princess Royal carried out 506 engagements, according to Tim O'Donovan, who compiles an annual tally from the Court Circular for The Times.
If the report is true then Princess Anne will be the first-ever female in British history to take the role of captain-general of the Royal Marines.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry inherited the role from Prince Philip, who retired in 2017. But because of his decision to withdraw from royal life, the Duke of Sussex had to give up this title, which truly saddened him, according to previous reports.
“I think the loss of his military links, especially that of Captain-General of the Royal Marines, will have deeply upset Harry, who continued the royal family’s tradition of military service by his two tours of duty in Afghanistan,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said. “Since he can no longer wear uniform, this is something he will feel deeply.”
Fitzwilliams added that although it appears that Prince Harry is ready to move on from his senior royal obligations to being a non-working royal, he may miss his old life in the future. The Duke of Sussex is royal by birth, and being a prince had always been a part of him.
“Independence has its price! They may have a meteoric rise with top Hollywood celebrities to back them, but they will always be followed by the press,” he said. “Meghan may be in her element, Harry may prove totally adaptable but he also could miss what he has given up.”
