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News

Prince Harry serves in Afghanistan

28th February 2008

The Ministry of Defence today confirmed after reports appeared on a US website that Prince Harry has been serving with the British Army in Afghanistan for more than two months.

A spokesperson Clarence House issued the following statement: "Prince Harry is very proud to serve his country on operations alongside his fellow soldiers and to do the job he has been trained for."

In a pre-departure interview with journalists at Clarence House, which was ony to be released once his deployment was made public, he said he had informed only a close circle of friends and family of his deployment.

Following the cancellation of the Iraq tour last year, the Afghanistan deployment was only possible after a mutually-agreed media blackout to prevent enemy forces finding out.

"I would never want to put someone else's life in danger when they have to sit next to the bullet magnet," he said.

"But if I'm wanted, if I'm needed, then I will serve my country as I signed up to do."

"From the Iraq tour that nearly happened, for me it was ruined by the fact that it was made so public.

"There was information that other people got that suggested that not only was my life in danger but the people that I served with: me being there may up the ante.

"Rather than two contacts a day it would be six or seven.

"And that was a risk that they weren't willing to take."

Describing the extra precautions this time, he said: "I have told the people that I feel would need to know but other people I don't really want to put in that position of saying 'right I'm going' and then they feel as though they've got to keep that deep down inside.

"People will be nervous, I think, for me - I hope - and it will be a bit of a shock or surprise when they find out that I am actually out there."

His over-riding feeling on finally going on an operational tour, was of evident relief.

"It's not so much what I hope to get out of it," he said.

The Queen broke the news to Prince Harry that he was being sent to Afghanistan to fulfil his ambition of serving in a war zone, he has revealed.

The prince said his grandmother was a strong supporter of his desire to serve on the front line despite his position.

He said the monarch had been "relieved" when it was agreed he would finally be able to do the job he had trained to do.

He said The Queen witnessed first hand his frustration at the time.

"She and everybody else did," he said. "There was a lot of frustration but as they say in the army: 'Turn to the right and carry on'."

This time only a close circle of family and friends and as few as 15 Ministry of Defence officials were told in advance, to avoid making him or those around him more of a target.

But among those kept informed from the beginning was the Queen.

"We've had a lot of talks about it since April, the last time it was supposed to happen," he said in an interview given before he set off.

"She was very 'pro' me going then so I think she's relieved that I get the chance to do what I want to do."

He added: "She's a very good person to talk to about it, her knowledge of the army is amazing for a grandmother - I suppose it's slightly her job."

Asked whether he had told his grandmother of the final decision to send him to Afghanistan he revealed: "She actually told me.

"She told me I'm off to Afghanistan so that was the way it was supposed to be."

Prince Harry said he hopes the British public will greet the news that he has been serving in Afghanistan with a simple: "So what."

The 23-year-old, who was told he could not go to Iraq last year because of his high-profile position, insisted his service in Afghanistan was nothing special compared to that of those who have lost their lives there.

"At the end of the day I'm a human being, I'm just a normal person like these guys," he insisted.

But asked how he hoped the news of his secret tour of duty in Helmand Province would be viewed, he added that he hoped people would say: "Good on him."

And he called for commentators who branded him a "coward" for not going to Iraq to "eat their words".

"I wouldn't expect the British public to make much of it," he said.

"I think they would just turn round and go, 'Yep, good on him, good on the people who got him out there, he's a soldier, so what', that sort of thing.

"'So what if he goes out there, my husband went out there, he died, so what if he goes out there,' would be the general opinion, hopefully so."

He said: "Everyone got a lot of stick for the Iraq situation.

"There's definitely a couple of people that I read in the papers saying that I was a coward etc, etc - well hopefully they'll eat their words.

"The fact was I was always willing to go to Iraq but wasn't allowed to for whatever reason.

"Looking back on it, I spoke to the guys who got back from Iraq and it wasn't that great anyway so I don't mind not going.

"But coming out here, yeah, I guess hopefully the public will think, 'Yeah ... good on him'."

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