« Previous | Main | Next »

Prince Harry Ready to Return to Battle

August 29, 2008 8:01 AM

Eliza Browning, ABC News, London

Prince Harry is eager to return to fight in Afghanistan, according to today’s British tabloids.

Earlier this year, the 23-year-old served on the front lines for 10 weeks in Helmand Province but was flown home after his tour was made public, breaking a voluntary media blackout.

The news was leaked in February on the Drudge Report, which found the story on an online Australian women’s magazine.

When he returned home to the United Kingdom, Prince Harry told The Telegraph, that he enjoyed serving in Afghanistan more than he thought he would. "I enjoyed being out there, every element had something different about it," he said.

And although he expressed a desire to return to Afghanistan, it was ruled out for security reasons, according to The Telegraph.

But today, The Sun reports that he is "desperate to go back for another encounter with hostile Taliban forces."

The Sun says Harry is "eager" to return to Afghanistan and has "urged his Army bosses to return him to the front line."

The third in line to the throne is a Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals, one of the oldest and most senior regiments in the British Army.

He was the first member of the Royal family to go to war since 1982, when the Duke of York served in the Falklands. In May he was awarded his first service medal for his mission in Afghanistan.

A spokesperson for the Royal Family said today’s articles were "complete speculation," and could not back up the claims.

"He has gone back to work with his regiment to resume his regular duties," the spokesperson added.

Since returning from Afghanistan in February, Prince Harry has traveled with soldiers to Africa to work for Sentebale, a charity he created in 2006 to help orphans of HIV/Aids. He also went on a two-month mission to build a school in Lesotho.

The Sun quotes an "inside source" from the British Army that says "Harry has made no secret of the fact he wants to be there when the regiment returns to the front line next year. With one mission under his belt, he has the skills and experience which will make him an extremely valuable member of the battle group."

But a spokesperson from the British Army told ABCNews.com that it is "inappropriate to comment on his future plans."

"He’s an officer and a troop leader and he is with his regiment," the spokesperson said, "but we cannot confirm whether or not he will return to Afghanistan in the future.

The Prince and members of his regiment will resume training at Windsor’s Combermere Barracks next week.

The Sun said Harry "will accept whatever decision the top brass make – and that he understands the difficulties related to his deployment." However they added: "It is clear he sees himself as a soldier and as such he is desperate to do the job for which he is trained."

His brother, 26-year-old Prince William, is also in training with the British military. He is serving on rotations in both the Royal Armed Forces and the Royal Navy.

August 29, 2008 in Eliza Browning | Permalink | User Comments (4)

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/433071/32888494

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Prince Harry Ready to Return to Battle:

User Comments

Posted by: bishnu | Aug 29, 2008 11:35:20 AM

Posted by: orangecat | Aug 29, 2008 11:03:26 PM

Posted by: Nyssa_aquatica | Aug 30, 2008 7:14:45 AM

Posted by: Beto | Aug 30, 2008 7:26:06 AM

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: