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Retaining his military titles is one of the issues that has still to be resolved since Harry and Meghan bowed out as working royals last year – and royal insiders say the prince may well be heading for a clash with The Firm.
Harry intends to fight to hang onto his titles, which would require him to conduct ceremonial and social duties.
He is currently 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.
The queen stripped him of most of his military titles last year but agreed he could keep three pending a Megxit review this year.
“His military work is one of the most important things to him. Of course, he wants to keep his titles,” a friend of the prince told The Daily Telegraph.
The prince, who has 10 years of armed service behind him as well as tours in Afghanistan, has apparently even hinted he would return to the UK for stints to fulfil his roles.
But senior royal aides maintain it would be impossible for Harry to continue with it.
Many royal observers feel the same.
Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir says Harry and Meghan need to let go. “They still want to take comfort in those golden ribbons of privilege that tie them to their celebrity status. They want to pitch their tent on the sunlit uplands of freedom, but with the guy ropes still firmly affixed to the Buckingham Palace lawns.
“It’s not going to work. And it is not fair to the army, navy and air force bodies the prince represents. They need certainly. They need to make plans. Most of all they need a working member of the royal family at their disposal and Harry may be many things but he’s no longer that.”
Harry recently won his court case against the Mail on Sunday newspaper, which published articles that accused him of “turning his back” on his country’s armed forces.
A lawyer acting for the Duke of Sussex told the British high court the story was a “personal attack” on the royal and that he would be awarding all damages to the Invictus Games Foundation, which he founded.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, harpersbazaar.com, the telegraph.co.uk
