An American on Prince Harry?

Question

There are alot of people bashing Prince Harry on the American Yahoo about not serving in Iraq and I wanted someones point of view who lives there.
I see it like this. Prince Harry has been second best at everything to William. He isn't the first born, he isn't as attractive, he is not as academically gifted. He has been known as the ginger 'spare heir 'all of his life.
I think he is completely committed to your Country and is a patriot and would serve in Iraq if given the choice. It is not his choice so he has no say in it so now he has to suffer the backlash once again. This is a guy who asks for no special treatment in any way, he wants to be his own man, make his sacrifices to a country he loves and do the best he can. Do Brits think he is spoiled and treated like royalty in the military? I personally think he has a lot of character and a lot of class and would put his life down for the UK if it came down to it . Any thoughts ?

Answer 1

Thank you for being so magnanimous very generous of you and I have to say I agree with your sentiments entirely.

All too often we Brtis run down the Royal family and as I explained in an earlier answer to a similar question. I think that what every he wants to do with his life that descision will always always be sanctioned. Thereby leaving him in a state of limbo and finding himself without an aim in life.

Who would be in this youngs man shoes? A young man who is fine and full of jest for life. He will be devasted but he will carry on as if nothing has happened. My hope is that when he leaves the Army he will be allowed to perhaps continue with the good work his mother endeavoured to do with such fervour.

Good on you Harry. Not easy being a Royal is it, despite what others may think of your so called privelged position on life.

Answer 2

Personally, I feel quite sorry for the guy.
He is only the spare heir to the throne, so will never get the chance to fulfil his family commitment.
He is a soldier that isn't being allowed to fulfil his commitment to his country.
What more can he do? The press will not leave him alone either. When he goes out with mates & gets drunk they photograph him & then say "tut, tut, isn't it awful". If he behaves like William they say he is too stuffy & boring.
They guy can't win!
The powers that be in the military should have put his unit to Iraq ages ago but not mentioned it in the press until he came home. That way everyone would have gotten what they wanted. He says he is bitter disappointed so maybe he will leave that Army now.
I am Scottish & although there is a measure of anti-english, anti-royal feeling here, I think on the whole the Scottish people respect the man for trying to do his duty alongside his unit.

Answer 3

Hi I am an American married to a Brit and I live in England -

Personally I have to agree with the decision to keep him at home as a safety precaution.

He wanted to go and is very disappointed that he couldn't but he also did not want to put his troops into any further danger in Iraq or where ever he might be sent.

There is plenty he can do at home by working somewhere in Special Ops - of course with all the training he has had you can bet that he doesn't want to be seen as sitting on his duff doing nothing.

Both Princes are in the Military - and their top job is to make sure that their troops have the safest possible tour(s) -

Now from a military family point of view - I can see how upset people could be that he will not be going to Iraq but we can't condem any of the royal family for not being able to serve in a war zone. If I had a family member over in Iraq I would want them to be as safe as possible and that wouldnt happen these days with all the media attention - it would make them a target just being close to the prince.

I know his Uncle Served in a war- however it was not nearly has hostile and dangerous as Iraq or any where else in the gulf.

But seeing what he is like and down to earth - he would gladly lie down his own life for his country- we all forget that even though they are the Royal family - they still have rules to abide by they don't have free reign - so to speak they have to answer to the government as well as the people.

This decision will upset a lot of people - but like I have seen someone state - what about other high profile families - that are not royals who gripe about this but wouldn't want their children there either.

Neither of the Princes are spoiled and have had to take their lumps in the military they were given no special treatment and have had to work just as hard if not harder to get where they are in the military.

My other half agrees with me, he says this war is one that can not be won on the playing field of Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan it's just another type of Veitnam and he says keep our troops safer by keeping the prince here. He also says that he believes the prince already suffers enough because of the agony of not being with his troops - and he will feel for them if anything happens to them as they are his brothers in arms - its not like times of old where it was mandatory for the royal family - kings and princes alike to pick up arms and go to war.

Answer 4

I am an American. I like Prince Harry a lot and believe he would serve if he could. However, his being a target in the field puts not only his life in danger but the lives of his fellow soldiers. It would also be very disasterous to the war effort if he was captured by insurgents and held prisoner (or worse yet beheaded on Al-Jazeera). That would be devistating not only to the Brits but to the Western world.

Answer 5

Personally I think he's fine. It would be hard for people in the military not to treat a royal like royalty so that's a daft statement ! As for special treatment it goes without saying but it's not down to him how people treat him is it ? I have never heard Harry called spoilt I think U.S media may think different to us Brits but I am open to contradiction.

Answer 6

Nothing to add, you have said everything I agree with, but there are unfortunately people in Britain who do not look at the full picture, and choose to make an issue where no issue should be.
If any one is to blame for this it is the media.
Prince Harry is a normal man, who happened to be born within the Royal family. Do any of us choose who our parents are?

Answer 7

Come on, his family pulled strings and got him out of going. The military was forced to put in an expendable person, someone who nobody cared if he died (oh......except his own family) for Harry. Whether or not Harry knew about the strings pulled, who knows.
You obviously know nothing about the British military, and yes he would be treated very differently.
The British army should send him over there and put him out as bait for the insurgents. That would draw them out and the British could kill more of them.

Answer 8

You are so right. Poor old Harry, as well as eternally having to contend with being the spare is now being used as a political tool. He would love to serve his country even if it means losing his life.

Answer 9

My family personally thinks he is one of the most down to earth and most sacrificing person of the royal family. As for him not being attractive, whatever do they mean? I think he is most attractive. I do not view him second best to William. He is very brave to be a soldier. I watched a short film on him and going to Iraq. We do greatly admire him, and all the British Royal troops who are fighting against terrorism along with the U.S. We are thankful for England's support when it is needed.

Answer 10

i think the royals are treated as soldiers which is what they are, Diana's 2 boys are the most in touch royals ever and if given the chance, they would serve in Iraq, why should he be crucifed for being saved from serving? are any of Bush's kids even in the military?or any senior US politicians? send Paris Hilton and Britney, thats the closest they have to royals