King Charles Passes Prestigious Baton to Prince William ‘Mutual Support and Continuity’
Last week, King Charles made a poignant gesture by entrusting his eldest son, Prince William, with a distinguished baton. This act not only marked a significant point in the royal succession but also served as a public declaration of solidarity between father and son, indicating their close bond.
The King conferred upon Prince William the title of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a position King Charles himself held for over 30 years. This transfer of duty highlighted the monarchy’s enduring legacy. Jennie Bond, the former BBC Royal correspondent, shared her insights with OK!, suggesting that the King was underlining the importance of continuity in the monarchy.
“The image of the King and the future King together sends out a powerful message about the continuity of the monarchy,” Bond commented. “I think it was an example of mutual support—the King handing a highly significant appointment to his older, loyal son, and Prince William showing that he is ready and willing to take on some of his father’s duties as and when the time is right.”
Bond emphasized the unique bond between King Charles, 75, and Prince William, 41, due to their shared destiny. “They are the only two men in the country to experience or face the prospect of being monarch,” she highlighted. “They have only one another to share very particular thoughts or concerns with about this unique role. With Harry no longer part of the picture, William has become closer to his father. As time goes by, I think the King will look to his eldest son more and more to uphold and protect the institution of monarchy.”
This display of unity was especially poignant given Prince Harry’s recent UK visit, during which he did not see either his father or brother. The contrast in paternal bonds was starkly highlighted as Harry attended the Invictus Games anniversary ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral while King Charles was engaged with the public at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
Jennie Bond also noted that no public official engagements have been undertaken jointly by William and his father since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022. Both King Charles and the Princess of Wales, 42, have been receiving treatment for cancer, which has brought the father and son closer together. “Such experiences must have brought them closer together, confiding their feelings and fears to each other,” Bond observed.
Reflecting on William’s return to Royal duties alongside his father, Bond remarked, “It’s lovely to see father and son together, with William towering over his dad, looking youthful and strong in spite of the emotional stress he must be going through with his father and wife under treatment for cancer.”
The Duke’s spokesman cited King Charles’ “full program” of engagements as the reason he could not meet Harry face-to-face. Neither publicly addressed the decision not to meet, but Bond believes the emotional toll of a fractured relationship with Harry may be too much for King Charles at present. “There’s no doubt that the King is incredibly sad about his broken relationship with Harry and, of course, his almost non-existent relationship with his two grandchildren in California,” she said. “But I think he sent out a clear message when he did not have time to meet Harry.”
Bond concluded, “The stress of a fractured relationship with his younger son may be too much for him to handle at the moment. Charles is a very emotional man, and it may be that the pressure of trying to untangle a complicated relationship with Harry right now is just not something he should be tackling when he is also fighting cancer. I believe that the King will always leave the door open for Harry. I’m sure he still loves his ‘darling boy’, but the time has to be right, and at the moment, the King’s focus is on getting well again as soon as possible and fulfilling as many diary engagements as his health allows.”