As It Should Be

23 February 2007



Prince Harry a/k/a Troop Commander Wales Headed for Iraq-Nam

Prince Harry, who’s third in line for the British Throne, is known to his co-workers as “Troop Commander Wales” with the official rank of Cornet. They’re all off for a six-month works outing to the Basra province of Iraq-Nam. The Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday that the Prince would be serving in Mr. Bush’s war as part of the deployment of the Blues and Royals Regiment of the Household Cavalry. One shouldn't expect the Bush twins to enlist anytime soon, however.

The monarchy is an anachronism at best, and the sooner there is a Federal Republic of Britain, the better. That said, one must distinguish between the institution and the human beings who compose it. Prince Harry is entitled to pursue whatever career he wishes, and the Royal Armed Forces was his choice. After the underage drinking, the pot smoking confession of 2002 and his Nazi uniform at a costume party, his time at Sandhurst was quiet, and the Army may have settled him down a bit. All of this is a good thing. However, as a member of the military, he must be treated like the rest; his clan knows that the family business requires it.

Also, it sounds like he wants to “do his duty” as commander of a troop of 12 men in 4 Scimitar armored reconnaissance vehicles, each with a crew of 3. A year or so ago, he told the BBC, “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.” Actually, they’ll be fighting to ensure a pro-Iranian regime survives in Iraq-Nam contrary to the national interests of Britain, but why quibble? And he get points for saying “arse” to the BBC.

Some argue that his presence in combat will make him a terrorist target and a “bullet magnet” for the opposition. This is nonsense. In the 21st century, the prince goes into battle in a uniform just like the orphan and the bricklayer’s kid, not with a suit or armor and a crown on his helmet. Moreover, as a prince of the blood, he is a terrorist target wherever he goes. Lord Louis Mountbatten, cousin to the prince’s granny the Queen, died in an IRA bomb attack on a boat off the coast of Ireland in 1979. The same debate occurred when Harry’s uncle Prince Andrew sailed off to help take back the Falklands from the Argentine dictatorship that had invaded in 1982. The same result held then.

Prince Harry may not be one’s cup of tea, but he didn’t ask to be born who he is (although if he renounced his royal status, he'd be made honorary executive editor of this journal in recognition of such a noble act). In the Army, he may find a way to become what he was born to be or he may not. However, it is his choice and in this, even the son of the Queen should get his chance no less than the orphan and the bricklayer’s son. Of course, it would be far better if none of the Blue and Royals (or any other regiment) were going, but that is another issue entirely.

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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