Britain’s Prince Harry to serve in Iraq

LONDON – Prince Harry is going to war.

The younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana will be deployed to Iraq as the first Royal Family soldier to serve in a war zone in 25 years. Now known officially as Cornet Wales, a rank equivalent to 2nd lieutenant, the ruby-cheeked prince will serve in Iraq for six months commanding a squadron of 12 men in four Scimitar armored reconnaissance vehicles.

Speculation about whether Harry, 22, would see combat, which has been percolating since he entered the elite Sandhurst military academy in May 2005, was put to rest Thursday in a statement from Defense Minister Des Browne. Harry’s elite Blues and Royals regiment is part of a restructuring plan announced Wednesday by Prime Minister Tony Blair, in which British forces in Iraq will be reduced from 7,100 troops to 5,500 in the coming months.

As in the U.S., Britain’s military is a volunteer force.

The country has been divided about whether Harry, third in line to the throne behind his father and his brother, Prince William, should be sent into combat. Some have seen it as a needless risk and argued that a royal might be a prized target for insurgents, potentially putting his fellow soldiers at greater risk. Others have noted that the Royal Family has a long history of military service, and that potential world leaders could do worse than testing their mettle by serving their nation under fire.

“He’s obviously a very gutsy kid, and I’m sure he’s insisted on going,” said William Shawcross, a noted author and broadcaster who has written a biography of Harry’s great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother. “I expect his father is very worried about it, but it’s a good thing. I think the queen will be proud of him.”

For his part, Harry is on record demanding not to be treated like some china doll prince. He has reportedly threatened to quit the army if not allowed to eat Iraqi dust alongside his mates.

“There’s no way I’m going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country,” Harry said in a rare, often-quoted and charmingly off-color interview marking his 21st birthday. “That may sound very patriotic, but it’s true.”