News
HRH speaks of his 'relief and pride' as he welcomes Prince Harry home from Afghanistan
2nd March 2008
The Prince of Wales said his thoughts were with parents who lost loved ones in Afghanistan as he welcomed his son Harry home.
The Prince, who met the 23-year-old off his flight at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire yesterday with Prince William, spoke of his "relief and pride".
His Royal Highness described his son's safe return from war-ravaged Helmand Province as an "immense blessing" and paid tribute to the "extraordinarily selfless, dedicated service" of those who served their country.
The Prince said: "Along with many parents who have experienced the same sense of anxiety about their sons or daughters serving on operational deployments overseas, I feel a great sense of relief and pride on the day my son, Harry, returns home - albeit somewhat earlier than expected.
"That he is safe and sound is indeed an immense blessing.
"But I think particularly at this time of those whose loved ones may not have returned, or of those who have been terribly wounded during the course of their duties and about whom we hear so little.
"There is a real and often overlooked need to reflect upon the extraordinarily selfless, dedicated service given by all the members of our Armed Forces, so often in the most hazardous and dreadful of conditions.
"They, their families and loved ones, who give them such support and understanding, deserve our most wholehearted gratitude."