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Prince Harry receives his Afghanistan medal from The Princess Royal

5th May 2008

Prince Harry received an operations medal for his military service in Afghanistan from The Princess Royal at Combermere Barracks in Windsor today.

The prince, who is a Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) was one of 170 members of the Household Cavalry Regiment being decorated for their service in Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan.

The Prince of Wales and Prince William attended the ceremony in Windsor and Prince Harry’s aunt, The Princess Royal, who is Colonel of the Regiment's Blues and Royals, placed the Afghanistan Medal on her nephew's chest in the tank maintenance depot at the Barracks.

The 23-year-old prince, known as Lieutenant Wales, served as Forward Air Controller from December last year until February of this year at Garmsir and Musa Qaleh.

But the planned four-month tour of duty was cut short after 10 weeks when a media blackout broke down, forcing him to return home.

As Prince Harry served more than the minimum one month in a theatre of war, he qualified for a campaign medal and was the first Royal to serve in a war zone, since The Duke of York in the Falklands 26 years ago.

After the medal ceremony Prince Harry and his comrades then paraded through the streets of Windsor in full desert camouflage to a Thanksgiving service at Holy Trinity, the garrison church, passing hundreds of well-wishers along the way.

Among those in the congregation was Harry's air control partner Corporal of Horse, David Baxter from Coleraine in Northern Ireland - known as call sign "widow six-three", while the prince was "widow six-seven".

"The way it came out was a bit disappointing, especially because he had to leave," CoH Baxter said today.

"It doubled up the workload that we had and every time we had a major
operation we had to get someone to replace him.

"A lot of people were disappointed about it, that he did have to go.

"He was just one of the lads."

The service had added poignancy as the regiment lost one of its men three days ago.

Trooper Ratu Babakobau, 29, from Fiji, was killed by a mine blast in Now Zad, northern Helmand.

Although the Household Cavalry Regiment did not lose any soldiers during the six-month tour being commemorated today, the nine other British troops killed in Afghanistan during that period were remembered at the church.

Afterwards, soldiers and their families attended a private reception at the barracks.