Captain General Royal Marines is the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines. The current Captain General is King Charles III.[1] This position is distinct from that of the Commandant General Royal Marines, the professional head of the corps, who is currently ranked as a General.
History
Appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines was the Colonel in Chief until the title changed to Captain General in 1948.[2] The uniform and insignia worn by the Captain General are those of a Royal Marines Colonel or higher depending on the appointee's current or previously held rank. As Captain General Royal Marines, Prince Harry was entitled to wear the rank insignia of a Field Marshal or Major General.[3] Despite this, Prince Harry, at least on some occasions, wore the rank insignia of a Colonel,[4][5] which is traditionally worn by some Colonels-in-chief in the British Army.[6]
King Charles III was announced as Captain General on 28 October 2022, on the 358th anniversary of the corps' founding by King Charles II in 1664.[7]
^The Queen made an agreement with the Duke of Sussex to suspend his duties on 31 March 2020.[14][15][16] An announcement by Buckingham Palace on 19 February 2021 confirmed the relinquishment of the Duke of Sussex's honorary military appointments.[17][18]