The Princess Royal is widely expected to succeed the Duke of Sussex, who stepped down from royal responsibilities in March 2020, as Captain General of the Royal Marines.

Other members of the royal family will have to pick up some of their old tasks while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle adjust to their new life.

According to royal sources, Princess Anne will succeed Prince Harry as Captain General of the Royal Marines.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement published on Friday, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.”

“Following conversations with the Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.

“The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.

“While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

Prince William was initially tipped to take up his brother’s patronage after a Buckingham Palace announcement stated that they will be given to “working members of the Royal family.”

However, given the widening schism between the two as a result of Megxit, such a move would be viewed as needlessly confrontational, according to sources.

According to a source close to Princess Anne, she is allegedly “very keen” to take on the position.

Queen Elizabeth is likely to publicly announce Anne’s appointment soon, according to the Sunday Times. When Harry and Meghan return to the United Kingdom, they will attend one more “farewell engagement” with the Royal Marines. Anne will also present at the Royal Marines engagement.

She would be the first woman to hold the role.

According to the insider, Anne is the “least controversial choice” for the job now that Harry has left.

He went on to say, “She’s not going to cause any problems or scandals. It wouldn’t be fair to take it off one brother and give it to the other.”

The Queen’s only daughter would be following in the footsteps of her late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, who served as Captain General of the Royal Marines for 64 years until his retirement in 2017.

Philip and Anne are believed to have had a tight relationship. In 2017, Eileen Parker, wife of Philip’s friend Mike Parker, told the Daily Mail, “[Philip] always had more fun with Anne.” “Charles is more like the Queen, while Anne is very like Prince Philip.”

The Marines would “obviously like to keep Harry,” according to the source, but Anne is “well liked” inside the force.

Prince Harry spent 10 years in the army, attaining to the rank of Captain.
He completed two deployments in Afghanistan, the first of which was cut short after his deployment became public.

Princess Anne, the hardworking Princess Royal, 69, who lives at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, is already involved with 65 military organizations and is the Royal Navy’s Chief Commandant for Women.

She is Royal Colonel of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Commodore-in-Chief of the Canadian Navy, and Royal Honorary Colonel of the City of Edinburgh Universities Officers Training Corps.

She is also a patron of the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial project in Liverpool, the Camp Hill Veterans’ Services, which assists Canadian veterans in receiving acknowledgment for their service to their nation, and the National Museum of The Royal Navy.

Every year, she performs hundreds of engagements with her military patronages and connections, and she is generally at the top of the list of the most hardworking royals.

She visited the North West RFCA headquarters in Merseyside recently and learned about Reserves and Cadets training.