Prince Harry Current Events 20: May-June 2007

[Alison20]

Hopefully Harry will be able to get on with his career after this particular storm has died down. I am absolutely sure that the Queen did not intervene - she didn't stop Andrew (often said to be her favourite child) being a decoy for missiles in the Falklands war. However this situation is a bit different, with the insurgents in Iraq being a different, and particularly nasty, kettle of fish. Harry would be in a position where he could be taken and subjected to public torture and humiliation - even beheading - purely because he is a member of the royal family. All his troup would also be at greater risk as he was being targeted.

When my husband was in Cyrprus in the 1960's, a young corporal had his picture circulated in a local terrorist publication highlighting his intelligence role and saying they were to target him. He was immediately removed from Cyprus as the situation had become too dangerous for him. I believe this also happened during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. If it was deemed correct to remove a corporal who was being personally targeted, surely the same protection should be offered to Harry?

I listened to General Dannatt's speech and feel that now there will be a media clamp-down on Harry's movements - and quite right too. If this can be maintained, he could be deployed elsewhere with no publicity. Clarence House has said that he is not leaving the Army, although very disappointed - so I think that is likely to be the situation. He just needs to keep his head down for a while - and not be seen drowning his sorrows at nightclubs while his men are in Iraq.

 

[cowarth]

I blame the media for his problems in the service, if they would leave him alone he would be fine.

 

[Sister Morphine]

I blame the media for his problems in the service, if they would leave him alone he would be fine.

It's not the media's fault. Not everything can be blamed on tabloid newspapers and paparazzi photogs. Even if no one reported on what he was doing and where he was going, he would still be in an equal amount of danger. I blame the MoD for making everyone go through this "Will he or won't he?" go around and then giving poor Harry the shaft. And I don't mean "poor Harry" like he should be pitied, but he was jerked around for quite awhile.

 

[susan alicia]

the army handled it badly, they should have said he will go where ever we send him. In February a statement was made by the Ministry of Defence which said that Harry would be sent to Iraq with his regiment. There are lots of places he can go to with the exception of Irak and Afganistan because the insurgents had singled him out. In other warzones the convention of Geneva holds place and one is a warprisoner with a certain protection.

It's not the media's fault. Not everything can be blamed on tabloid newspapers and paparazzi photogs. Even if no one reported on what he was doing and where he was going, he would still be in an equal amount of danger. I blame the MoD for making everyone go through this "Will he or won't he?" go around and then giving poor Harry the shaft. And I don't mean "poor Harry" like he should be pitied, but he was jerked around for quite awhile.

 

[Skydragon]

When my husband was in Cyrprus in the 1960's, a young corporal had his picture circulated in a local terrorist publication highlighting his intelligence role and saying they were to target him. He was immediately removed from Cyprus as the situation had become too dangerous for him. I believe this also happened during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. If it was deemed correct to remove a corporal who was being personally targeted, surely the same protection should be offered to Harry?

As you will know, moving people in intelligence, is a different kettle of fish, to moving a troop leader. By their very occupation, they work in small groups in the field.

MoD takes flak for Harry's limbo over Iraq service

Military chiefs were considering Prince Harry's future career in the army yesterday as the Ministry of Defence was roundly attacked over the embarrassing fiasco of his on-off deployment to Iraq.

MoD takes flak for Harry's limbo over Iraq service | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

"It would have been less of a risk had Prince Harry joined the Royal Navy or RAF, he said". Obviously he has no idea of the role the RAF play in Iraq, apart from the obvious one of flying!

Prince Harry in nightclub ban

PRINCE Harry has been dealt a second, devastating blow after being blocked from fighting in Iraq: the party-loving prince has now been banned from going to nightclubs.

Prince Harry in nightclub ban | The Daily Telegraph

Harry was to use Landrover

Had he been allowed to go to Iraq, Britain's Prince Harry would have been tasked with the responsibility of trapping insurgent smugglers on the Iraq-Iran border.
According to The Sun, Prince Harry would have been travelling in an unarmoured and open Land Rover while undertaking the high-risk operation in lawless Maysan Province.

Guess what, the Sun got it wrong, so much for their source on this occasion!

HARRY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LAST MAN STANDING

 

[scooter]

Personally, I am relieved that he will not be going. Life can be capricious (sp?). He's only one heartbeat from being the heir. I do think that it was short sighted of all involved, not to think it through before he was allowed to go down the military route. The country was at war when he enlisted.It should not have come as a surprise that he might be deployed into combat.

 

[Skydragon]

Royals at war

The decision not to send Prince Harry to Iraq has to be seen through the prism of the long history of royal service in wars, says military historian Peter Caddick-Adams.

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Royals at war

Prince Harry may serve in Sierra Leone

MILITARY chiefs may send Prince Harry to Sierra Leone as compensation for him missing out on active service in Iraq.
Army bosses believe the third in line to the throne could do a valuable job in the war-torn West African country without putting himself and his fellow troops in danger

Edinburgh Evening News - Prince Harry may serve in Sierra Leone

Which paper will have an exclusive tomorrow sending him somewhere else, resigning, sulking, relieved etc, etc!

 

[HRH Kimetha]

Army commanders mull secret war role for Prince Harry

Well, there is more speculation about the Prince. From Sierra Leone to now the Prince in a secret war role (a little bit of my own speculation as well).

Army commanders mull secret war role for Prince Harry

LONDON: Army chiefs want to find a way of letting Prince Harry fulfill his dream of seeing frontline action.
Desperate to repair the public relations disaster caused by the decision not to send him to Iraq, they are trying to find him a secret war role by switching him to another unit.

Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - Britain/Ireland

 

[HRH Kerry]

Umm. What?

Okay. Is it me or would Prince Harry been better off going to Iraq if this was the case?

 

[cowarth]

The MOD should be embarrassed for the way they handled the whole Harry fiasco. Hopefully they will think before they act next time.

 

[Skydragon]

Army commanders mull secret war role for Prince Harry

The D squadron story is now travelling the world papers!

 

[cowarth]

Besides Iraq, Afghanistan, or other places already mentioned above, where else does Britain have troops serving as peace keepers?

 

[karla64]

He may serve in Sierra Leonoe..

With Iraq out of the picture Harry could serve in West Africa

 

[scooter]

How about Northern Ireland, now that they've all stopped shooting at each other?

 

[Little_star]

The whole press coverage has been a shambles.

He should have quietly been sent to Iraq, carried out his duty and come home when it was over.

The constant media speculation, whisperings and nonsensical stories have only made the matter worse and raised his profile even further.

 

[gfg02]

REVEALED: AL-QAEDA PLOT TO KILL HARRY

The Daily Record - NEWS - News Feed - REVEALED: AL-QAEDA PLOT TO KILL HARRY - REVEALED: AL-QAEDA PLOT TO KILL HARRY

 

[Elspeth]

It's a pity the intelligence services have been so sidetracked by having to spend time on detecting threats to Prince Harry rather than the work they're supposed to be doing out there.

 

[Lady Bluffton]

Elspeth rightly pointed out earlier in this thread that civilian careers for the key members of the royal family (i.e. heir and spare and immediate family) don't exactly have a long history. In light of the "don't send Harry to Iraq" decision (or anywhere as an army officer...remains to be seen), perhaps it's time for the BRF to reevaluate the career options of its leading members.

Yes, Edward didn't make a great go of it, but there's got to be something Harry can do short of being posted permanently at Buckingham Palace.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Maybe it's time for a new thread, or is that calling for too much unwarranted speculation?

 

[Elspeth]

Feel free to start a thread; it might be very interesting! It's probably best to keep it specific and in this forum, though; it seems as though it's only the most senior royals who have this problem, since Princess Margaret's and Princess Anne's children have managed to make careers for themselves in the private sector. I'm not sure whether Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will have similar problems, but the Armed Forces aren't really an option for them, so the only careers in public service would involve becoming civil servants.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Can I just register my disbelief here at the total idiocy of the British media. The MoD were not sure about sending Harry, so the press had a field day on why he should and shouldn't go. The MoD then said they were sending him to Iraq and again, the press had a field day on why he should and shouldn't go. The MoD then said that because of threats to his safety, he wouldn't be going and so the press had a third day on that well-known grassy pasture on why he should and shouldn't go. We finally get through the balls up that was Harrygate and the MoD decide he might be better serving in Sierra Leone. So the press report it and thus tell terrorists where to find Harry in a few months time, thus producing threats to his safety and preventing him from serving anywhere. The papers say Harry should be one of the boys and go but then when they're going to send him anywhere they print every minute detail and put him in danger so that he can't go which they then report as the fault of the MoD. Pick your bloody potato, which is it? Leave the boy alone, let the MoD do their jobs and remember that careless talk does actually cost lives. It isn't something old girls in hairnets say at the bingo, it's a very real statement. If Harry did go to Iraq, the press had already said where he could possibly be serving and as a result they would have placed him in very real danger. I'm starting to think that state-owned media is the only way out of this media mess. Camilla breaks wind and she murdered Elvis, the Queen doesn't wear her gloves and she's got MRSA, the Duke of Edinburgh has a plaster on his ear and he's having an affair with Norman the Happy Fish. It's got to stop.

 

[Elspeth]

You're registering disbelief at the idiocy of the British media? Really?

Who's Norman the Happy Fish? Enquiring minds would like to know...

 

[misselle]

The decision to not allow Prince Harry to fight in Iraq is a good one. He would probably be a target as well as those under his command. I also think the ultimate decision came from the Queen. JMO.

I think his being a supreme target for the terrorists is the reason Harry can not go;the Queen could not pull her grandson out from duty.
Perhaps he and his regiment will be sent elsewhere as has been stated,into another conflict zone.There are so many people out there who are saying the most ignorant,unjust things about Harry because he was pulled out from Iraq.And it was not his decision!He wanted to go;he knows that his reputation is at stake!

 

[Sister Morphine]

Can I just register my disbelief here at the total idiocy of the British media. The MoD were not sure about sending Harry, so the press had a field day on why he should and shouldn't go. The MoD then said they were sending him to Iraq and again, the press had a field day on why he should and shouldn't go. The MoD then said that because of threats to his safety, he wouldn't be going and so the press had a third day on that well-known grassy pasture on why he should and shouldn't go. We finally get through the balls up that was Harrygate and the MoD decide he might be better serving in Sierra Leone. So the press report it and thus tell terrorists where to find Harry in a few months time, thus producing threats to his safety and preventing him from serving anywhere. The papers say Harry should be one of the boys and go but then when they're going to send him anywhere they print every minute detail and put him in danger so that he can't go which they then report as the fault of the MoD. Pick your bloody potato, which is it? Leave the boy alone, let the MoD do their jobs and remember that careless talk does actually cost lives. It isn't something old girls in hairnets say at the bingo, it's a very real statement. If Harry did go to Iraq, the press had already said where he could possibly be serving and as a result they would have placed him in very real danger. I'm starting to think that state-owned media is the only way out of this media mess. Camilla breaks wind and she murdered Elvis, the Queen doesn't wear her gloves and she's got MRSA, the Duke of Edinburgh has a plaster on his ear and he's having an affair with Norman the Happy Fish. It's got to stop.

When you write a book, and you better.....I want the first copy. Autographed, if you please.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The decision to not allow Prince Harry to fight in Iraq is a good one. He would probably be a target as well as those under his command. I also think the ultimate decision came from the Queen. JMO.

First of all I do respect your right to have a different opinion to me. I want to make that point very clear right at the beginning.

I however disagree most heartily with your statement about the Queen making the decision to pull Harry from the deployment.

My reason is based on her own sense of duty - including the duty to sign the commissions of new officers - many of whom she knows will be sent to Iraq. She also regularly sends condolences to the families of those who have died in Iraq. She also attends, annually, the Remembrance Day services honouring the men and women, including those currently serving, who have served their country (and paid the ultimate sacrifice for that country).

She would not, in all conscience, be able to fulfil these duties if she was involved in a decision to pull her own grandson from the possibility to be one of these sacrifices. She simply would be seen as a hypocrite - on the one hand saying that she respects the sacrifices made by these families and yet on the other hand she is saying that her family is not prepared to make these same sacrifices anymore.

As the Queen would never be seen as a hypocrite she simply wouldn't make a decision like that - accept it and agree with it yes but be the one making it - no.

 

[HRH Kimetha]

There are so many people out there who are saying the most ignorant,unjust things about Harry because he was pulled out from Iraq.And it was not his decision!He wanted to go;he knows that his reputation is at stake!

I personally hope that the media keeps getting so many messages fed to them by MoD that nobody will ever know whether there is any truth or lie to any of it. What MoD needs to do is just rattle off possibilities a couple times a week to keep everyone guessing. I think a good thing they did do was to put out into the press not to expect to see Harry at any nightclubs. This way no one can "really" miss him because he's just "not allowed" there. Hopefully, he gets to fulfill his mission, whatever that might get to be.

 

[PrincessDianafan]

i agree if think if thing were kept quite he could have gone, but it is too risky for everyone now as it is

 

[Skydragon]

Perhaps he and his regiment will be sent elsewhere as has been stated,into another conflict zone.

Just because Harry has been held back, doesn't mean A squadron were.

 

[Skydragon]

Besides Iraq, Afghanistan, or other places already mentioned above, where else does Britain have troops serving as peace keepers?

The UK has forces deployed in around 80 countries at the moment. Some for training of our own men and women.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Who's Norman the Happy Fish? Enquiring minds would like to know...

Norman the Happy Fish, born Algernon Norman De Courcey Fish on the 9th April 1919. Co-star of Charlie Chaplin and inventor of the Bagel slicer, he married Deborah Kerr in the late thirties before being made King of Poland. After abdicating in the 60s, he went on to win an Oscar for his performance in the 1982 film, "I may be just a fish but you should see what I can do with a bottle". I can't believe you haven't heard of him.

When you write a book, and you better.....I want the first copy. Autographed, if you please.

You're too kind.

 

[HRH Kerry]

But why would the media keep their big mouth shut when they're objective is to sell, sell, sell? We won't bite if it's not news worthy. Yes, this story (err, intelligence) had no business being leaked. This isn't I have a Top Secret Clearance and the scoop was so juicy I told my spouse in confident. This was the media! Making up stories (err, intelligence) to keep them guessing is even worse.