Prince Harry Leaving the Army (June 2015): What will he do now?

[Ish]

Originally Posted by Bundtrock

What would the repercussions and consequences be if he just quit doing royal duties and attending royal functions? What would be the worst that could happen to him? He is not going to be King, obviously, so no "King Edward VIII" abdication and exile. Lose his HRH?

Nothing would happen to him. Contrary to popular belief, being an HRH Prince/Princess of the United Kingdom is not stipulated by their doing royal duties.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent don't do royal duties, still have their titles. The Duchess of Kent doesn't do duties and doesn't want her title... Still has her title. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie don't do Royal duties and actively don't get recognized for the duties they do do, but still have their titles.

Given Harry's position - he'll one day be the son of the monarch, the brother of the monarch, and the uncle of the monarch - it's unlikely he'd be given the opportunity to go private, not permanently.

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I find it sad that he is leaving the army, it seemed like such a great fit for him and he accomplished so much.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Ish

Nothing would happen to him. Contrary to popular belief, being an HRH Prince/Princess of the United Kingdom is not stipulated by their doing royal duties.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent don't do royal duties, still have their titles. The Duchess of Kent doesn't do duties and doesn't want her title... Still has her title. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie don't do Royal duties and actively don't get recognized for the duties they do do, but still have their titles.

Given Harry's position - he'll one day be the son of the monarch, the brother of the monarch, and the uncle of the monarch - it's unlikely he'd be given the opportunity to go private, not permanently.

I doubt that he'd lose the title he was born with and he could choose to have a career that was not traditional for men in the BRF now that he's leaving the army. The late Prince Friso and Prince Constantijn come to mind as sons of a monarch who didn't or do not perform duties on a regular basis and had other careers. The brothers attended/attend national events ie: W-A's ascension, King's day etc..

[MARG]

When you get to a job/career that includes that odd little quirk of actually getting paid, things have a way of turning to custard. One would think that Prince Edward would have had no problem whatsoever being the Queen's fourth child, but one would be very, very wrong indeed!

Whatever he, and later Sophie, tried to do, there were allegations of them using the BRF to make money or allowing someone they worked for to use the connection. The last attempt was an unmitigated disaster and both Edward and Sophie retreated, concentrated on their children and then slowly, engagement by engagement, became working royals.

At the end of the day that was all that was left, although I believe they have both served HM well both at home and abroad and will continue to do so, but I don't see Harry's future being any easier. In the not too distant future, he too will be the son of the Monarch, just as Edward is, and I don't think feelings about potential influence peddling have changed at all.

[Iluvbertie]

Slowly - for Edward and Sophie (their first year of doing full time royal duties was 2002) by my count was - Edward 414 and Sophie 345. These figures are comparable to last year when they did 434 and 320 respectively.


No 'slowly' about it - once they were full-time that had a full load.

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by MARG

When you get to a job/career that includes that odd little quirk of actually getting paid, things have a way of turning to custard.

How cute the phrase. What does it mean?

[Iluvbertie]

If Harry wanted to do nothing then he is free to do so. He would still have security because it is deemed necessary for him due to his tours of Afghanistan but if he didn't want to do royal duties or have a job or anything like and simply wanted to live the life of a playboy he could easily do so. He would lose popularity but that is all.

[AdmirerUS]

Originally Posted by Lady Nimue

How cute the phrase. What does it mean?

It means a job is a job. Even working at something you love there are parts of it that are tedious.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Lady Nimue

How cute the phrase. What does it mean?

Wow, you got me there. It's one of those idioms we use here all the time and never think twice about. So, courtesy of wiktionary.org, which I can't link:

(New Zealand) To go badly awry.

Needless to say, awry is a very tame word to explain exactly how bad it is, but think of something very unpleasant that you unexpectedly stepped in whilst wearing your newest Louboutin sandals . .

So, we may speak both speak English, but the native dialect is definitely different.

[Al_bina]

I personally think that Prince Henry is making a mistake. He should have tried to advance the ranks within the army.

[Lady Nimue]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

I personally think that Prince Henry is making a mistake. He should have tried to advance the ranks within the army.

I agree with you, though a poster who knows their stuff regarding the military has nailed the reason he is leaving. It has to do with his relationship with the military in a formal sense. I know this is not popular to say but Harry was a liability for them. It was unlikely he would ever move from a desk job in London (imo). In the end, Harry had to accept the constraints without the fun, and I think he made the only decision he could make. He had to be willing to toil away in a different capacity in the military. He clearly didn't want that.

I think there are other options for him, maybe in the realm of the Diplomatic Corps. Post him to the United Nations. Some PR work somewhere in the world. His father and grandmother are likely already making the way smooth for him as we speak.

Originally Posted by AdmirerUS

It means a job is a job. Even working at something you love there are parts of it that are tedious.

Yet I love custard - so saying that doesn't make sense to me.

Originally Posted by MARG

Wow, you got me there. It's one of those idioms we use here all the time and never think twice about. So, courtesy of wiktionary.org, which I can't link:

(New Zealand) To go badly awry.

Needless to say, awry is a very tame word to explain exactly how bad it is, but think of something very unpleasant that you unexpectedly stepped in whilst wearing your newest Louboutin sandals . .

So, we may speak both speak English, but the native dialect is definitely different.

Oh, Marge, now you've done it! That image! Argh! Custard! How could you!

[Curryong]

None of us know what Harry and his advisers have planned for his future. Nor do we know for sure his reasons for leaving the army. I think once he gets back from Africa at the end of summer he will have a break and then some announcement will be made in the autumn. Harry's future may be some charity work, his own Foundation connected with the environment. It could be a roving ambassadorship of some kind. It will be only temporary anyway.

The Queen, Prince Philip and the Kents, princess Alexandra etc., aren't getting any younger and both brothers and spouses will be performing full time royal engagements in another few years, whatever their private inclinations. Harry's army career would have come to a screaming halt with his grandmother's death anyway. So will William's incipient flying career.

[Lady Nimue]

He's going to become a professional photographer after becoming engaged to Chelsey this spring/summer and marrying her in a beautiful snow-filled, candle-lit winter wedding.

I have it all sorted.

[MARG]

Sounds good to me! Better get on with it Harry . . .

[PetticoatLane]

Harry gave an interview to the Sunday Times in which he discussed his plans for the short-term:

Harry said he had been wanting to work in Africa for the past five years, but hadn’t wanted to “go as a tourist”. Instead he will embark on a three-month programme that will include shadowing the “No 1 top vet in southern Africa” and working with rangers in a national park.

“That could be anything to do with tracking poachers, jumping on a vehicle early in the morning, darting elephants, darting lions,” he said. “That’s like my dream; it’s going to be amazing.”

...

Speaking in Auckland at the end of successful visits to Australia and New Zealand, Harry said the trip could help him decide on his future career. “Working with animals and children would be the key job. If I could find something that works like that, then excellent,” he said.

The prince was reluctant to identify the people he will be working with and the places he will visit, and said that half of his Africa itinerary was “sort of up in the air”. He added: “I don’t want people really knowing where I’m going — I think that’s fair enough.”

He hinted, however, that he planned to involve himself in some of southern Africa’s most difficult — and potentially controversial — conservation issues.

...

Conscious of his past reputation as a playboy prince, Harry acknowledged that he was lucky to be given “three months off to go and do what I want to do”.

He insisted, however, that he would not be putting his feet up, and rejected the initial programme drawn up by his private office because “I didn’t want to turn up somewhere for four days and be treated like a tourist”.

Instead, he said, “I’m going there as an extra set of hands. I said, ‘Work me as hard as you want to, whether that’s tracking with the rangers or cleaning out the pens — whatever it be, let me do it’.”

...

The prince’s Africa trip will last until autumn, when he will resume his work with a Ministry of Defence personnel recovery unit in London, helping rehabilitate wounded servicemen and women, until the end of the year.

Lion-hearted Harry to work with vet in Africa | The Sunday Times

These are the most relevant bits from the interview. The article itself is behind a paywall. He also strongly supported his father's speaking out as "whatever he says is normally right and about 10 years ahead of when the problems actually happen".

[polyesco]

very nice interview
Hope he does well and is given the space to do so

[Curryong]

Thanks for this, but Oh these paywalls! So frustrating! It sounds a terrific trip and one that fulfills many of Harry's dreams. I hope he's not going to be stalked by any South African or British journalists while he's out there. Go, Harry!

[Rudolph]

Harry can't totally disappear because he will be travelling with 6 protection officers and the tax-payer still has a say in what he does. According to the ST he will spend three months in Africa which won't be cheap.

[Thumbahlina]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

If Harry wanted to do nothing then he is free to do so. He would still have security because it is deemed necessary for him due to his tours of Afghanistan but if he didn't want to do royal duties or have a job or anything like and simply wanted to live the life of a playboy he could easily do so. He would lose popularity but that is all.

Yeah, but he wants to be a Dad not a gigolo (playboy) and have compulsory enlistment. Anyway, the security comes with or without the enlistment, financial or otherwise, he's a royal, but they have to make their own financial way in life, looks like the crown doesn't foot all their bills. His enlistment made it clear that he's a regular working norm like most everyone else. I doubt he'll loose popularity also, even though the crown won't likely rest on him, he'll have more freedom because his position to the thrown gets further and further each time Kate gives birth. Either way he's a royal, not someone to just take lightly, whatever he does, is the way I look at it.

Originally Posted by Rudolph

Harry can't totally disappear because he will be travelling with 6 protection officers and the tax-payer still has a say in what he does. According to the ST he will spend three months in Africa which won't be cheap.

That is a good many, each one has rules and regulations to follow, including him. Three months in Africa, that is kind of like, I won't say hideous, but just something I wouldn't rather do if I had druther. Lol. I am glad I don't have to. Yet he's going there to learn conservation. I am assuming it will be fun for him. Texas is enough like Africa, so enough like Africa if you go to the zoo the African animals seem to be the happiest in the scorching heat. The zoo is plenty enough wildlife to enjoy for a few hours in my point of view. I would dread 3 months in Africa. As far as the tax payers in England they seem to adore the royals. I wouldn't know and can only follow ya'll's political news for a little while until it's irrelevancy for me here just sinks in too deep.

[lucymae88]

I like that Harry is going to Africa for awhile, I think it's what he needs. I know Harry loves Africa and can just be his self there, hopefully the press with let him be for awhile. Maybe after his time in Africa he will know the next step he wants to take in his life and a job he can love.