Wales.
This is coolbert:
"'If it's too dangerous for Prince Harry, then it's too dangerous for me.' Soldiers will say":
"'Is his life worth more than mine?': Well, from a political point of view, yes. But from a morale point of view, the answer is no."
- - Charles Heyman, a former British soldier and editor of the book "Armed Forces of the UK", on the decision not to send the prince to Iraq.
"'Is his life worth more than mine?': Well, from a political point of view, yes. But from a morale point of view, the answer is no."
- - Charles Heyman, a former British soldier and editor of the book "Armed Forces of the UK", on the decision not to send the prince to Iraq.
Well, this all came as a mild surprise. Prince Harry will not deploy to Iraq after all. As a leader for an armored car platoon, he obviously would be in danger. A combat arms officer seeing combat? Well, what else was expected? The Prince did anticipate going to Iraq and was eager [?] to go! Prove his mettle at his chosen profession [military officer].
I thought this was a done deal. The decision had been made that Prince Harry was going to Iraq. A decision made at the highest level of command, in consultation with the Royal Family. NOT SO NOW!
The most senior British commander has now said the Prince will not be going. Period.
It has been argued that jihadi will be marking the Prince as a target for elimination. As a consequence those soldiers serving in the unit of the Prince would felt to be at increased risk way beyond normal.
This does not bode well for the military career of Prince Harry. Well, he can serve, he can train, be promoted, lead troops during TRAINING - - BUT - - never be placed at risk?
Someone - - at some level - - should have thought this all through a long time ago!!
coolbert.
2 Comments:
This website, http://members.fortunecity.com/successionlines/unitedkingdom.html, lists the first ten in line of succession to the British throne year by year, from 1760 to today.
Here is another website on the order of succession, the current one hundred in line, http://www.geocities.com/dagtho/uk-succession.html.
Of more remote in line of succession, the British royal family have their cousin Wettins (Hanover), Wittelsbachs (Stuarts across the water), Saxe-Coburg-Gothas, (Albert II of Belgium, Simeon Saxe-CoburgGothski) Holstein-Gottorps (Margrethe II of Denmark, Harald V of Norway, Constantine II of Greece, Prince Philip), Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovs (Prince Nicholas Romanov), & sundry Hohenzollerns, Bernadottes & Bourbons.
The British constitutional monarchy is not lacking in heirs of good moral character who could faithfully & competently carry out the duties of head of state, which are so limited that the third heir of state prepares not to lead the nation but to be an army subaltern.
There is a way for Harry to overcome the fear of military politicians who want nothing untoward to happen on their watch and that is for him to stop being a Prince of the United Kingdom. He could surrender his titles, give up any claim to the throne, call himself Cornet Harry Mountbatten-Windsor, then publicly dare Sir Richard Dannatt not to send him to Iraq.
Such a step might distress the Queen & the Prince of Wales, bringing back memories of Edward VIII. Unlike Edward, Harry would be leaving a gauzy office to do real work for his country. Such a step would be a better one for him to take for his sake & the credibility of the monarchy than resigning his commission or being permanent protected staff.
9:24 PM
If he can'yto go to fight with his comrades, then why bother having him in the military at all? He knows the risks of combat, I am sure. As for making things more dangerous for his fellow soldiers, I don't buy it. Every single Westerner in Iraq is a target for the jihadis, from Prince Harry down to the lowest buck private. As for the enemy being able to recognize him more readily than other soldiers, I don't buy that either. Everybody in uniform looks the same these days, even to me. Everybody is in the same BDUs and no rank insignia is all that apparent. Combine the fact that the prince would be in an armored vehicle. I tried to pick my cousin out of a crowd of those new digital BDUs and helmets and could only recognize him when he got close to me. I can imagine it would be the same with the British pattern.
10:20 PM
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