Prince Harry has just been promoted ahead of his wedding to Meghan Markle

And we're sure his bride-to-be is very proud...

From the editors of People Words by Diana Pearl

Prince Philip is giving Prince Harry a new job for Christmas.

On Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth formally approved the handing over of the position of Captain General Royal Marines, a branch of the Royal Navy, from her husband, Philip, to her grandson, Harry.

Philip held the position for quite a while: He was appointed to the role of Captain General on June 2, 1953 - the same year Queen Elizabeth was coronated. He took over from her late father, King George VI.

Prince Philip officially retired from royal duties in August after the palace announced his intention to do so in May. His final public engagement before he formally entered retirement was one in his capacity as Captain General, a parade to mark the end of the Marines’s 1664 Global Challenge at Buckingham Palace.

His last official duty in the role, however, came when he passed the job on to Harry on Tuesday, alongside Major General Robert Magowan, Commandant General Royal Marines, and Major General Charles Stickland, Commandant General Royal Marines Designate. The four took a photograph together to commemorate the occasion.

It’s a fitting transition for Harry to take over for Philip. Though Harry never served in the Royal Navy as his grandpa did in the years before Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne—he was in the Army for 10 years—he’s long proven his dedication to service members and veterans. Since 2014, he’s spearheaded the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style competition for wounded and recovering veterans.

The passing of the position onto his grandson is just another milestone in what’s been a year full of them for Prince Philip: Beyond his retirement, he and Queen Elizabeth also celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in November.