Prince Harry current events 13: January 23 - March 5 2007

[Sister Morphine]

Originally Posted by chrissy57

I didn't say it was a bad thing for people to worry about him.

I asked why people would worry about a person they don't know personally because I don't and I find it a strange reaction.

I only have feelings for the people I know personally and therefore find it hard to understand why people say they worry about a person they haven't met, or get upset when someone they haven't met dies, or gets married etc.

I was not saying there was anything wrong with people having those feelings but trying to understand why they have them.

Personally I don't - that is my point.

The best way I can explain why some people get attached emotionally to celebrities, is sometimes we see a little of ourselves in them or sometimes their life experiences parallel ours. Someone who lost a mother young might identify with William and Harry more than someone else, because they too lost a mother when they were young. So those feelings that the boys had might be reciprocated in kind by someone else.

I can remember being absolutely gutted when Princess Diana died. My whole school was kind of "blah" that day.....we had a memorial mass for her at the parish church near our school. None of us knew her personally, but we "knew" her and we were saddened. Just as it seemed everyone in England was as well.

Originally Posted by HRH Kimetha

I understand what you are saying as well as understand what others are saying about worrying about the whole lot.

However, those other soldiers really have no names and faces on this forum. Those who worry specifically about Harry really do care about him and will worry as he has become a brother, a son, a friend--who does have a face, a name and a life that they have followed.

I do not think those who do worry about Harry, necessarily do not care about the rest of the men in his regiment that may be assigned to a dangerous area like area. Harry is the man that stands out. He is man that we all follow. We do not know the other "John Does" who are in just as much danger as good ole Harry. Yes they have names, faces and life...however, we on this forum do not know them. We know Harry and William and the rest of the people that we follow on this forum...We visit them either everyday for most and for others a couple times of week as we visit this forum and read the 'gossip', 'concerns', 'joy', 'sadness', etc.

Well said.

[chrissy57]

Thank you to those of you who have explained why they will 'worry' about Harry if, and when, he is deployed.

I am also glad that we could have this discussion without anyone having a go at another poster, which is why I started my first post with the comment about not wanting to be rude.

I do appreciate your views and the fact that you have all shown respect for mine.

[sara1981]

Harry's minder in Iraq
The Sun Online - News: Harry's minder in Iraq

[Skydragon]

Prince Harry's Iraq stint sends army commanders in a tizzy!

With British Royal Prince Harry getting ready to serve in Iraq, the army commanders are grappling for his security in the country.

Prince Harry's Iraq stint sends army commanders in a tizzy!

[Little_Rain]

I wouldn’t say I will be heavily worried about Harry but I would say a pray for him but not just for him but for all the men and woman severing in this war. I respect that he wants to go in and it make sense he went into the military because he wanted too.

[Mahoogie]

Originally Posted by chrissy57

I don't mean to be rude but why would you be worried for about him? Are you worried about all the troops over there specifically or will you just be worried for Harry?

I can't understand people who worry about people they haven't met (and I am assuming - correct me if I am wrong - that like me you don't know Harry).

Personally I will worry about people I know like the grandson of one of my best friends who has just been posted there - because if something happens to him I know how upset she will be - but otherwise they are just troops doing the job they are trained to do and volunteered to do. They knew the risks when they joined the military. Harry falls into this category - he knew there was a war on when he joined the army - he knew that he might have to serve in a war zone - he has stated that he wants to serve there if his troop is sent - we should be happy that this young man is going to get to do what he has stated he wants to do - serve with his troops. If he didn't want to serve in a war zone then he shouldn't have joined the army at all.

I know others will disagree with me on this - it is the same as when people say they 'loved' or 'love' a member of the RF or any other celebrity for that matter - I can't understand that emotion - I love people I know personally not those who I read about in the newspapers and hear about on the tele.

You cant blame people why they worry about Prince Harry's safety..He is the third in line to the throne of Great Britain..Plus, her well-loved and famous mother died young from a tragic incident..No one wishes that her son would suffer the same fate..Its not that you worship celebrity or royalties, as a human being with empathy and sympathy, of course you'll feel shock and sorry if something bad had happened to other people that you know whether they are celebrities, your grandma, your neighbor etc..You may not meet famous celebrities, royalties, athletes etc. in person, but you know them by name and the work they do, so it is somehow normal that you react sometimes on news about them, negative or positive..Its not that you're a fan or what or you care a lot about them..

[Duchess]

i'm very proud of harry. i'm sure, if he wanted to, he could have strings pulled to make sure he never has to go to iraq but he's been steadfast in his decision to stay with his men and i admire that.

[BeatrixFan]

I think it's strange how "connected" we get. For example, I'll be worrying about Charles and Camilla until they get back home from the Middle East. They're not only British people but they're my future King and Queen and in an odd way, I love them. I love my Queen, I love her family. And that makes me worry about their safety even though I don't know them personally. I think it's patriotism more than anything.

[Little_Rain]

I just heard that he is going over but will have bodyguards with him. This might make him a bigger targeted having a group of people huddle around him who clearly aren’t soldiers. At the very list Harry has been trianed for the army , unless some of his guards are former military themselves.

[Skydragon]

I have heard that one bodyguard has been over to check arrangements, but that was from The Sun, which is a far from reliable source.

I can't see the army agreeing to a contingent of police officers. If anything they may appoint a proven soldier to 'buddy' him.

[MARG]

Hey, come on guys! Get with the programme!

At the very least Harry will be accompanied by 6 protection officers, 12 SAS to watch their collective behinds, 8 civil servants (to keep the press... oops I mean the government in the loop), 2 polo ponies 4 grooms and 150 cases of Crystal!

My sources are not sure whether he will be spending 150 or 350,000 pound on complimentary fireworks and the final arrangements for Chelsea to visit every other month have not quite been finessed. However we are assured that every single little thing the press could imagine will be supplied, even a disco nightclub to get smashed in every other night.

[Mahoogie]

I wish Prince Harrry the best and may God protect him..I admire his courage..I remember reading somewhere about an American Psychic who has this vibes about Harry's personality..She says that Harry possess leadership qualities that his grandmother The Queen has more than his brother William..Its quite odd because Harry is obviously more laid back than William regarding his partying ways but maybe Harry has more to offer deep inside.

[Christo's Girl]

It was irresponsible for the papers to print about his deployment. But on the other hand, Harry gone from the UK for just one week would have caused alarm. I am worried about he other soldiers in Harry's regiment. I hope the insurgents don't get any ideas.

[Sister Morphine]

Originally Posted by Mahoogie

I wish Prince Harrry the best and may God protect him..I admire his courage..I remember reading somewhere about an American Psychic who has this vibes about Harry's personality..She says that Harry possess leadership qualities that his grandmother The Queen has more than his brother William..Its quite odd because Harry is obviously more laid back than William regarding his partying ways but maybe Harry has more to offer deep inside.

I completely agree with this. It shows a lot about him that he's sticking to this, and wanting to serve with the rest of his men. It doesn't mean I won't be less worried about him because he WANTS to go, I just know that I deeply admire that about him.

[sirhon11234]

I pray for Harry's safe return. He's so brave to fight in Iraq. Because hell would I ever die for this war. Harry better be careful out there. The Wales family already buried Diana they don't need to bury another loved one.

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

I love my Queen, I love her family. And that makes me worry about their safety even though I don't know them personally. I think it's patriotism more than anything.

I understand what you're saying, but in my case I wouldn't call it patriotism. I certainly wouldn't care as deeply if an Australian politician were at risk....not unless it was one I particularly like, and there are few of them.

In the case of the British RF, I feel a deep emotional attachment. As I have probably said before and will probably say again, my heart might be Australian but my blood - physically and metaphorically - is English. My father's parents were English as were my mother's grandparents. I care about all of the RF, even those I don't know much about, because they are my Royal Family and I think one feels a special tie because of that connection which runs deeply within us and is tied to our heritage. Perhaps it is patriotism after all.

But as well as that, we here all feel we "know" Harry to some extent. We might be strangers to him, but he is not a stranger to us. We (those old enough ) grew up with his father and attended his parents' wedding, we knew Harry before he was born, saw pics of him as a baby, followed his schooling, felt his sadness at his mother's funeral, and watched him grow up and train to be a soldier. We know this young man; he is not a stranger.

As for other soldiers, although unless we are psychopaths we care about the well-being of all humans, but I think we have to personalise them before we can feel the same sort of concern as we feel for Harry. Doesn't military training teach you to de-personalise people so you can kill them? When I see film of soldiers sending messages home at Christmas, they become individuals with family and friends and a personality, and I then think of them as individual people and worry about them when I hear there is fighting where they are stationed. I can't feel the same way about faceless figures in blotchy/greeny/sandy coloured uniforms because I don't "know" them.

Harry has a difficult job as the "spare". He has chosen a military career and wants to do it properly and well, as did his uncle Andrew. He had the right to make that choice. Andrew had a chance at active service, and Harry wants that chance too.

But this is a different war. IMO the only grey area about his deployment relates to whether Harry's presence, because of who he is, will increase the risk to his fellow soldiers. If there is a real chance that it will, he should probably decline to go. But that is an awful lot to ask of a young officer.

[ZandraRae]

If Harry is going to Iraq, which I will not believe until we hear it from a reliable source, I will be praying for him and for all the other soldiers out there. I pray for all of their safe returns. When Harry signed up, he knew the outcome of his action, and if that is his choice, as is the choice of many others, I will respect that. Although I think it would be crazy to give him officers to protect him. That would just get him noticed more.

[kaffir]

Well Blair just announced he's withdrawing the troops, so who knows if he'll ever go. Maybe he'll go to Afghanistan instead.

[Skydragon]

Blair is expected to announce the slow withdrawal of troops in Iraq. As you can see from this article, none of the media can agree on what he is doing or when.

It's best to wait for an actua