Prince Harry, now in army, insists on front-line mission (AFP)
23 April 2006
LONDON - Prince Harry is threatening to quit the British army if he is not allowed to join fellow soldiers in harm’s way, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.
“If I am not allowed to join my unit in a war zone, I will hand in my uniform,” he was quoted as telling senior officers before his passing-out from Sandhurst military academy, southwest of London, on April 12.
Harry, 21, third in line to the throne now occupied by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who turned 80 on Friday, will now join the Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry regiment, serving in an armoured reconnaissance unit.
As 2nd Lieutenant Harry Wales, he is to become a troop commander, in charge of 11 enlisted men and four light tanks -- a task that could see him sent to Iraq or Afghanistan in the coming year.
The Mail on Sunday, quoting senior army sources, said there is concern in the Ministry of Defence that Harry could become a “trophy target” for insurgents -- endangering not only him, but also the troops at his side.
“He will go bananas if he is given special treatment,” an unnamed source close to the prince was quoted as saying. “He doesn’t want to let the rest of the lads and lasses down by opting out.”
Prince Harry seems to be a brave young lad. More power to him.
Posts: 3165 | Location: From the Mountains to the Sea. | Registered: 06-08-02
His uncle, Prince Andrew, flew a Sea King during the Falklands War. There are rumours and counter-rumours that he was kept out of harm's way preferentially - although one of his missions, apparently, involved using his helicopter as a decoy for Exocet missiles. Andrew does seem to be one of the less in-bred and objectionable of the royal gang.
On the one hand, it would be odd for Harry to train as a soldier and call himself one, then avoid real service. On the other hand, as a valuable target the loss of which could not be allowed, he might be more trouble than he's worth in Iraq or Afghanistan.
I agree that allowing Prince Harry to serve in combat would be more trouble than he is worth!
Threatening to quit the army if he doesn't get his way! He may or may not be brave, but a threat like that is not one of the earmarks of a good soldier, and I hope it sets off warning signals with his superiors.
Posts: 1879 | Location: Boise, Idaho, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Ah. Problem solved then. Harry gets to go, but is followed everywhere by a guy with a pistol, who has to shoot him if capture looks imminent.
Colonel Cross of the Ghurkas says that the 'gold standard' of being a good soldier is to be prepared to kill and/or die, and have a sense of humour about it.
Originally posted by Professor: Why, Fred? Are the royal family kept briefed on military planning? For instance, in WW2 did the king know in advance about the invasion of Normandy?
Probably. The Prime Minister of the day has a weekly audience with the monarch in which he advises of current events and thinking. Tony Blair drily observed that it is the only time that he can be sure that his private statements on events and policy won't get leaked
We make sure there's no capture of a royal because we remember all that trouble we had over King Richard on his way back from a Crusade.
Ghurkas? Of course their old colonel would say that about facing death happily. The ghurkas are , by religion, fatalist.
