Harry WILL go to war zone after secret deal with army

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Booze and royal: Harry looks worse for wear as he and Chelsy are driven off from the Embassy nightclub at 4am. It comes a day after the Prince was criticised by troops for missing a 6.30am march after a heavy night partying

Prince Harry may soon get his wish to serve in a war zone under a secret deal that is being thrashed out between Royal aides and the Ministry of Defence.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the ex-SAS soldier who is Harry's Private Secretary, is trying to persuade military top brass to allow the 22-year-old Prince to serve as a watchkeeper, monitoring communications between a base camp and the front line.

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As The Mail on Sunday revealed last year, Harry, a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry, has threatened to quit the Army if commanders refuse to send him to war.

He wants to serve alongside his men, posing a huge dilemma for Army chiefs who fear that if the Prince, who is third in line to the Throne, is allowed to serve in a combat zone, he may be killed or put his comrades at risk.

They also fear the nation would not be able to contemplate the thought of losing Harry on top of the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

But now, under a compromise deal being discussed by Clarence House and the MoD, Harry may be allowed to serve in a 'rear area' away from the most intense fighting.

No decision has been made about whether Harry might be deployed to Iraq in April or to Afghanistan in October.

But senior sources in his regiment, the Blues and Royals, say that a posting to Kabul or Kandahar in Afghanistan is the most likely option.

A meeting is due to take place in three weeks' time between senior Cavalry commanders and Clarence House officials.

As a watchkeeper, Harry would be trained to use computers, secure phone lines and encrypted radios to monitor operations.

Watchkeepers usually become experts in a specific skill, such as ammunition supply, and have to provide commanders with regular briefings and updates.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: "Lowther-Pinkerton is acting as a go-between between Clarence House and the MoD.

"Harry is determined to serve Queen and country like all those in his regiment.

"He wants to be able to hold his head up and say to his fellow officers and men, 'I did my bit.'

"Harry will still get a campaign medal to prove he has served in a war zone, and watchkeeping duties are not a bad compromise."

Harry's regimental colleagues say he is 'quietly confident' he will be allowed to go to war in some capacity.

A senior source within the Household Cavalry said: "Harry is very level-headed, but he is concerned that if he does not deploy he will be an embarrassment to the regiment and useless to the Army as an officer.

"He has fought against being given special treatment all the way and has asked time and time again to deploy with his men but, at the same time, he accepts the regiment has a duty to reduce the risk he faces.

"From a regimental point of view, we want him to deploy. Why else would he join the Army and the Household Cavalry if he did not want to go to war and serve his country?"

Both Clarence House and the MoD said that no decision has yet been taken about Harry's deployment.

 

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