Kate Middleton handed new military roles with sentimental nod to her grandfather

The Princess of Wales and other working members of the royal family have been given new appointments

The Princess of Wales has been appointed three new military roles by King Charles III, including one that has a link to her grandfather.

The monarch’s reshuffling of military appointments for working members of the royal family comes ahead of the anniversary of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death next month.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement this week: “Following his Majesty’s Accession, the King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working members of the royal family.

“The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the royal family in His Majesty’s reign.”

Kate Middleton has been named the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1^st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, and the Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the Royal Air Force Coningsby.

The last appointment, which was previously held by her husband, the Prince of Wales, holds a special link to the princess’s family, as her grandfather Captain Peter Middleton served in the Royal Air Force (RAF).

According to reports, he also worked with the late Prince Philip and flew as a co-pilot with him during an aerial tour of South America in 1962.

Meanwhile, her appointment as Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm comes after the role was stripped from the Duke of York while he faced a civil sexual assault trial last year.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge sit for a photo with military personnel from Britain and Belize during a visit to the British Army Training Support Unit (BATSUB) jungle training facility on the third day of a Platinum Jubilee Royal Tour to the Caribbean on March 21, 2022 (Getty Images)

Prince Andrew, who had links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was accused of sexual assault after alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against him.

The duke has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and has said he does not remember ever meeting Giuffre. He later paid a multi-million-pound settlement out of court in February 2022.

His other military role, Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Irish Regiment has now been appointed to Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

With the new Colonel-in-Chief of the 1^st Queen’s Dragoon Guards appointment, Kate has also taken over a role held by her father-in-law King Charles, when he was the Prince of Wales.

Meanwhile, Prince William has also been given three new appointments in the reshuffle. These include Colonel-in-Chief, The Mercian Regiment; Colonel-in-Chief, The Army Air Corps; and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Valley.

No positions were handed to Charles’ youngest son, the Duke of Sussex, because he is not a working member of the royal family. Prince Harry previously held several military roles, but gave them up after stepping down from his duties in 2020.

The King previously announced a wave of military appointments in December, three months after Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September.

The late monarch held more than 50 ranks and appointments in the UK and Commonwealth Armed Services, including Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Colonel-in-Chief of the Adjutant General’s Corps.