The Queen will move to strip Prince Harry of his honorary military titles, according to a leading royal expert. Her Majesty “doesn’t think Harry deserves them while he is AWOL in California,” according to talkRADIO host Kevin O’Sullivan. Former Sun royal corespondent Charlie Rae remarked that “Harry can’t have it both ways” by holding onto his royal titles while living in California.
Mr O’Sullivan said: “These titles are very dear to his heart.
“He is about to be stripped of them because the Queen doesn’t think he deserves them while he is AWOL in California and not fulfilling full royal duties.
“He is determined to keep them, he is coming over to Britain. Who is going to win that battle?”
Mr Rae responded: “The Queen will win the battle. These are three honorary titles.
“No-one is suggesting to take away award or rank that he earned in his service, not at all.”
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He continued: “These titles represent the Queen. The one linked to the Marines has been held by kings and Prince Phillip.
“Harry can’t have it both ways. He can’t say, ‘I don’t want to be a member of the royal family but I still want to retain these titles and represent the Queen’. It doesn’t work that way.
“Yet again, it is another example of Harry throwing his toys out of the pram over these titles.
“They are bestowed by the Queen, and she wants a working royal – not someone who is sitting in sunny California making money out of Netflix and Spotify.”
Under the terms of the Megxit deal that was agreed at the Sandringham summit last January, the couple were forced to give up their Sussex Royal title and their ability to use their HRHs.
Harry also agreed to step down from his military roles, however officials involved in the talks said that “the Queen agreed to keep the positions open during the review period so that he could return, if it was deemed appropriate”.
The titles held by the 36-year-old included Captain General of the Royal Marines; Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington in Bury St Edmunds; and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command.
In the wake of the Queen’s decision, the Telegraph reported that Harry “is determined to keep his honorary military titles and wants to spend more time in the UK”.
Harry’s friend, who has not been named, told the Daily Telegraph: “His military work is one of the most important things to him. Of course he wants to keep them.”
The Duke is said to believe that he should retain the patronages, given that he spent ten years in the Army and has continuing links with the Invictus Games Foundation.
