When Princess Kate was appointed a military title by King Charles

In 2023 Buckingham Palace announced new military appointments for nine Royal Family members.

The King, as Sovereign, is Head of the Armed Forces. His Majesty is a military veteran himself, having trained and served in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said, "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.”

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.

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 11, 2023

The Princess of Wales became the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Coningsby.

The last appointment is especially sentimental for Princess Kate, as one of her grandfathers served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) — and reportedly worked with Prince Philip.

The Princess of Wales’s existing military appointments include Colonel, Irish Guards, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the Air Cadets. Her Royal Highness is also a Sponsor of HMS Glasgow – the first of the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Frigates which is currently under construction.

The King, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Prince Richard, and Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester were also awarded new royal roles.

The royal came a month ahead of King Charles’ first Accession Day which was also the anniversary of the date the monarch took office and also the anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth. 

The day is observed in the United Kingdom through the flying of specific flags and various official functions. In London, a Royal Salute is fired by the guns of the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park, and by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London. Salutes are also fired at Woolwich, Colchester, Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Cardiff, Belfast, York, Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Dover Castle.