King Charles has appointed himself to take over one of Prince Harry’s most beloved roles as Captain General of the Royal Marines.

According to The Sun, Harry was “bitterly disappointed” when the late Queen Elizabeth II removed him from the role, after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as working members of the Royal Family and allegedly pleaded to have a “half-in-half-out” role as Captain General.

Buckingham Palace announced news of Charles’ new role on Friday, October 28, as part of the Corp’s anniversary.

In the announcement, the King remarked how it was “the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role” of 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 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 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.”

Coincidentally, the King’s announcement was also made just hours after Harry had announced the title and release date for his explosive memoir Spare. 

The Duke of Sussex has promised his forthcoming memoir would be a “firsthand account” of his life that’s “accurate and wholly truthful”.

The 416-page book – with its title referencing Prince Harry being the royal “spare” and unlikely to ascend to the throne – will cover all aspects of the Duke’s life, from growing up in the public eye, to his military service, to marrying Meghan Markle and becoming a father to Archie and Lilibet.

“I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man, I have become,” Prince Harry said.

“I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story — the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned — I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.”

It is understood that the book was intended to be released this year but was rumoured to have been delayed as Harry was having second thoughts about exposing his family in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September.

The release of Harry’s memoir would mark the second time the former working royal has willingly discussed his private life, following his bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.