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Prince Harry returns from Afghanistan

1st March 2008

Prince Harry returned to the United Kingdom after completing more than two months on active service in Afghanistan today.

Along with other soldiers returning to the UK, Prince Harry who is a Second Lieutenant with the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) flew to RAF Brize Norton, where he was greeted by his father The Prince of Wales and his brother Prince William.

In an interview, given as part of the deal secured by the Ministry of Defence to keep Harry’s service under wraps, Harry said he was disappointed to not be able to complete his full tour of duty.

He said: “I am slightly disappointed. I thought I could see it through to the end and come back with our guys and the Colonel himself.

"But I'm back here now and I suppose deep down inside it's quite nice. I'm looking forward to having a bath.  I think once I've had a bath, I'll think it's nice to be back early.

"But no, I would like to still be out there with the guys."

Harry also thanked the British media for holding to the news blackout which allowed him to go out to Afghanistan.

He said how grateful he was for the British Media keeping to their side of the deal with included media access to him in Afghanistan for use when he returned tho the UK.

"I'm very grateful for that and thank you to all the British media for keeping their mouths shut.

He said:  "I know for a fact that there was stuff they did behind the scenes to stop stuff coming out which was massively kind of them.

On his return to RAF Brize Norton, they gave a final interview as part of the agreement with the media.

Prince Harry spoke of how he had managed to fulfil his ambition to be a troop leader for a week while he was in Afghanistan and described his fellow soldiers as a “really great bunch of lads”.

He said: “Once you are out in the middle of the desert and all you depend on is one another to look out for each other then it comes down to the fact you are mates, all ranks aside, you are mates and you look out for each other."

Harry said that the time he spent in Afghanistan was one of the happiest periods of his life.

"It was fantastic, it was an opportunity that I was wanting to do the whole time and to be able to do it, I was hugely grateful for having the opportunity."

"I did enjoy it a little bit more than I suppose I should. Not in a sick way, but no I enjoyed being out there I suppose.

"Every element had something different about it but actually being out in the middle of nowhere, with the stars out, as you guys experienced as well just for a short amount of time. It was just a fantastic place to be.

"Two mornings before I left was the first morning I heard birds singing in the desert."

Prince Harry spoke of the bravery of the troops fighting out in Afghanistan and denied that he was a hero, as much of the media coverage had claimed.

He said: "I wouldn't say I'm a hero at all. I'm no more a hero than anyone else, if you think about it there's thousands and thousands of troops out there.

"And as I keep saying over and over again, it's very nice for all the press to come here and do this but hopefully in the long run it's going to bring more attention towards what the guys are doing out in Afghanistan and the amazing job everyone is doing.

"It's not just England, Britain, but America - I'm not going to list them or I'll forget or leave someone out - every single nation that's part of it and all the guys that are doing an amazing job out there.

"So, no I wouldn't say I'm a hero.

"There were two injured guys who came back on the plane with us who were essentially comatosed throughout the whole way.

"One had lost two limbs - a left arm and a right leg - and another guy who was basically saved by his mate's body being in the way but took shrapnel to the neck, both out cold throughout the whole of the flight.

"Those are the heroes, those were guys who had been blown up by a mine that they had no idea about, serving their country, doing a normal patrol, doing what they know is best.

"But thanks to the skills and drills and professionalism of the ... team and all the medics, going from stage one all the way back to the medics that check them out here or at Birmingham and hand them over, and hand them over, and hand them over - everyone on that whole stream I would say they were heroes, they're keeping people in one piece and essentially saving lives.

"That's just the way it is and the bravery of the guys out there is just, humbling, it's amazing.

"There was a lot people in a worse situation than me that's for sure.

"And all the infantry out there are the guys who need recognition."

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