King Charles will become the next Captain General of the Royal Marines after Prince Harry was stripped of the title when he stepped down as a senior royal.
There had been speculation about which member of the Royal Family would be given the role, with the Princess Royal tipped for the position.
The duke was stripped of his military titles, which also included Commodore-in-Chief of Ships and Diving, and Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington, in February 2021 after he and the Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to stop being working royals the previous year.
In a statement to mark the 358th anniversary of the Corps of Royal Marines, the King said he was “exceptionally proud” to become its ceremonial head.
“It is the greatest possible pleasure to assume the role of your Captain General,” he said.
“I am exceptionally proud to follow in the footsteps of so many members of my family over the last three-and-a-half centuries, all of whom held the role with a deep sense of admiration.
More on The King
Related Topics:
“The Royal Marines have a distinguished and unparalleled history, both on land and at sea. I draw immense inspiration from your courage, determination, self-discipline and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments.
“I feel greatly honoured to become part of the Corps Family and very much look forward to meeting many of you in the near future. In the meantime, this comes with my heartfelt and special wishes for a very happy 358th birthday. Per Mare, Per Terram.”
Advertisement
Day after Harry memoir announced
On Thursday, it was revealed Prince Harry’s memoir SPARE will be released on 10 January.
The title appears to be a reference to the phrase “heir and a spare” – suggesting his attitude toward his place in the Royal Family.
Billed as “his story at last”, the book also delves into Prince Harry’s “personal journey from trauma to healing”.
“With its raw, unflinching honesty, SPARE is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” a description of the book reads.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on the announcement.
North Yorkshire Police said: “Despite extensive enquiries, including with our colleagues in Humberside and West Yorkshire Police, we have been unable to identify him.
“He was found without any identification or personal belongings.”
The man was also described as white, in his early 50s to 60s, with light brown short hair and stubble.
He was wearing brown walking boots, blue denim jeans, a multicoloured knitted jumper and possibly a dark green waterproof coat, police added.
It comes after Leicestershire and Lincolnshire both declared a major incident in response to the extreme weather hitting the UK and Ireland.
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue was the first emergency service in England to declare an incident and said it had received more than 200 calls since Monday morning over widespread flooding.
Crews had found cars stuck in floodwater and evacuated residents from flooded homes and rising waters, with some 17 people rescued as of 1.45pm.
The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum declared a major incident shortly after, and noted that emergency services had rescued children who were stranded at a school in Edenham.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has three yellow weather warnings – each for snow and ice – in effect throughout Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
A warning covering the west and north coast of Scotland – reaching into Inverness and Aberdeen – will last until midday, while an alert in effect for all of Northern Ireland will last until 11am.
The Met Office has also issued a warning covering Wales and parts of northwest England on Monday evening, moving into southwest England, the Midlands and parts of southern England in the early hours of Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a yellow weather warning for snow is in effect across the south of England – stretching from just above Truro in Cornwall to Canterbury in Kent – from 9am to midnight.
A man has been charged following reports of threats towards Labour safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, Sky News understands.
Jack Bennett, 39, has been charged with three counts of malicious communications, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
The messages were sent between April 2024 and January 2025 involving three victims, including the Birmingham Yardley MP.
It is understood the accused, from Seaton, east Devon, was charged over the weekend.
He has been bailed to appear before Exeter Magistrates’ Court on 18 February 2025.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke about a “line being crossed” regarding comments towards Ms Phillips and said that she had been receiving threats.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
The charge said the 31-year-old “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by engaging in a sexual act with a prisoner in a prison cell”.
Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added last year that the incident was “a shocking breach of the public’s trust,” and that De Sousa Abreu “was clearly an enthusiastic participant who wrongly thought she would avoid responsibility”.
“The CPS recognises there is no excuse for any prison officer who conducts themselves in such a manner, and we will never hesitate to prosecute those who abuse their position of power,” she added.
“After working closely with the Metropolitan Police to build the strongest possible case, De Sousa had no option but accept she was guilty. She will now rightly face the consequences of her actions.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news