Why Prince Harry didn't receive a new honour from King Charles

Danielle Stacey
·2-min read
Prince Harry at military parade in 2017
Prince Harry still retains his KCVO and medals (Getty)

The King has granted new roles to four members of the royal family, it was confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, but the Duke of Sussex is not one of the recipients.

The most likely explanation for this is that Prince Harry is no longer a working royal, having stepped back from his public duties with wife, Meghan, in 2020.

While the couple have kept their royal titles, they no longer use their HRH styles but still retain them and Harry has remained fifth in line to the throne.

The Duke also gave up his honorary military titles, but he has kept his KCVO star, which represents the Royal Victorian Order, which the late Queen Elizabeth II awarded her grandson in 2015 for "services to the sovereign".

MORE ON PRINCE HARRY

Harry donned his medals at King Charles' coronation in May 2023, which also include the Afghanistan Operational Service Medal to mark his military service, as well as the Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. (Photo by Andy Stenning - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Harry with his four medals and his KCVO star on display at the coronation (Getty)

He was also awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2023, but he has not been pictured wearing it publicly yet.

The new honours appointed by King Charles

A host of announcements were revealed by Buckingham Palace on St George's Day, with the Queen given the role of Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

The role is the second most senior in the order with the King sovereign of the order.

William, Kate, Charles and Camilla at Scottish coronation
Kate, William and Camilla all received new appointments (Getty)

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales has been made the Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the Princess of Wales has been appointed Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour.

The Duchess of Gloucester, who is married to the late Queen's cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, is now a Royal Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the King's Coronation
The Duchess of Gloucester has been appointed to the Order of the Garter (Getty)

She joins a list of eight other royals, including the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and the Duke of Gloucester, as well as the King's siblings - the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Edinburgh, and Queen Camilla and Prince William.

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