King Charles replaces Prince Harry as Captain General of the Marines
28 October 2022, 15:04 | Updated: 4 November 2022, 10:05
Buckingham Palace has announced King Charles take over the role of Captain General of the Royal Marines the day after the details of the Duke's tell-all autobiography SPARE were released.
There had been speculation about which member of The Firm would be handed the position, with Anne, Princess Royal tipped for the role.
The Duke lost his military titles, which also included Commodore-in-Chief of Ships and Diving, and Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington, in February 2021 after he and wife Meghan Markle announced their intention to step back as working royals the year before.
In a statement marking the Corps of Royal Marines's 358th anniversary, the King said he was "exceptionally proud" to assume the role.
Read more: Prince Harry's tell-all memoir will be called 'Spare' and released on January 10, publisher reveals
He said: "The Royal Marines have a distinguished and unparalleled history, both on land and at sea. I draw immense inspiration from your courage, determination, self-discipline and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments.
"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. In the meantime, this comes with my heartfelt and special wishes for a very happy 358th birthday."
The monarch then quoted the Corps's motto: 'Per Mare, Per Terram', which is Latin for "By Land and By Sea".
Yesterday it was revealed that Prince Harry's memoir SPARE - an apparent reference to the phrase 'heir and spare'.
The book has been billed as "his story at last", and also delves into his "personal journey from trauma to healing".
"With its raw, unflinching honesty, SPARE is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief," a description of the book reads.
