Harry proves his worth in conflict

11:19am Tuesday 4th March 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

IT'S not often I feel sorry for a member of the Royal Family, but right now I have to confess to a certain sneaking sympathy for one of the younger players in our country's favourite soap opera.

I refer, of course, to Prince Harry, now back in Blighty after serving Grandma and Country in Afghanistan.

Initially I hadn't intended adding to the millions of words so far expended on the story, but it wormed its way into my mind, partly because of sympathy for "Lieutenant Wales", and partly because there are a number of things I find slightly odd about the whole thing.

Turning first to Harry's frustration, perhaps it shows that even those born into privileged positions sometimes need to find a feeling of self-worth. Harry joined the Army while it was involved in two very nasty conflicts, yet was very publicly prevented from going with his unit to Iraq.

How he must have welcomed his "secret" deployment to Afghanistan. It would wipe out the Iraq memory, and allow the man who will almost certainly not become king do something his big brother will never, ever be allowed to do. While William was going for curries in Micklegate, Harry was on the front line in Helmand.

Harry appears to be a bit of a lad, and no doubt relished roughing it with his mates. Having to leave must have been like a punch in the stomach.

At the same time, I find it difficult to put my finger on all the things I find odd about this episode. Apart from the apparent absurdity of our defence chiefs, including the wonderfully-named Sir Jock Stirrup, spending so much time worrying about one junior officer, there is also the question over why the top brass agreed to Harry going out at all, given the risks.

The reasons given for very swiftly sending him home seem slightly strange, too. A pretty serious conflict is already going on in Helmand. Yet we were told Harry had to return because the Taliban would concentrate their efforts on getting him and his unit - which, rather worryingly, suggests the Taliban have more shots in their locker than they have yet used.

Maybe the defence chiefs' real concern, after those naughty foreign websites broke the news blackout, was that Harry would attract such media attention that the Taliban need only aim their mortars and rocket-propelled grenades in the direction of the camera crews.

I can't help feeling, however, that the blackout-busters did most of those involved a pretty big favour.

The top brass have done their duty by the monarchy and sent Harry sent home with honour. Now they can stop having nightmares about the prince being killed, wounded or captured by the Taliban.

The Royals can be pleased, too. Harry had a bit of an "image problem", what with falling out of nightclubs and the like. That image has been given a big push in the right direction, he's come back in one piece, and the Prince of Wales has come over as a very human worried parent, like so many others whose offspring are serving abroad.

The good old British media can stand proudly, having done their bit and kept the blackout agreement - and still got the story. Even the Taliban's profile has been given a boost.

As for Harry, he may have found self-worth, and if his comments about his feelings of humility when he travelled home with badly-wounded Marines are anything to go by, he may have found some maturity and a sense of proportion as well.

* The other odd thing, of course, is that only 25 years ago Prince Andrew - the son of the reigning monarch - served quite openly in the Falklands War. There was a chance he would be killed or captured, yet there was nowhere near this fuss. I wonder if Harry would agree that things haven't changed for the better.