On Monday, in a notable joint public appearance, King Charles of Britain delegated an important military role to his son, Prince William, at a ceremony, as the king steps up his return to public duties after his cancer diagnosis.
During the event held at the Army Flying Museum in southern England, Charles bestowed upon William the Colonel-in-Chief title of the Army Air Corps, a position he had occupied for over three decades. The ceremony took place near an Apache helicopter and was witnessed by military staff.
“He’s a very good pilot indeed,” commented Charles about his son, who formerly served as a helicopter search and rescue pilot with Britain’s Royal Air Force.
This marked one of Charles’ first public duties since he resumed work at the end of April, nearly three months after it was disclosed by Buckingham Palace that he was battling an unspecified cancer.
Meanwhile, Prince William, aged 41, had paused his royal duties for a few weeks in March and April to support his wife during her preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer, confirming on Friday that she was “doing well.”
During the ceremony, Charles expressed “sadness” at relinquishing the role but affirmed that the Army Air Corps would continue to thrive under William’s leadership.
“Look after yourselves, and I can’t tell you how proud it has made me to have been involved with you all this time,” Charles remarked.
The decision to transfer the title to William was made public last August following Charles’ rise to the throne. Later that day, William engaged with the Corps, exploring their training routines, and equipment, and interacting with the troops.
