By Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
LONDON, April 30 -- Our story so far:
Harry, the young warrior prince, wants to go to Iraq to fight with his mates. The puckish 22-year-old second lieutenant confesses that he loves "running down a ditch full of mud, firing bullets."
Much public angst ensues. Everybody loves Harry, the rosy-cheeked younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Nobody wants him harmed, and nobody wants him to be a Royal Target and put his mates at unnecessary risk from insurgents enthusiastic to stick a dagger in Britain's collective heart.
In February, Defense Secretary Des Browne announces that Harry is going to war. It's official: His unit ships out later this year -- perhaps sometime very, very soon.
More angst follows, but it is generally drowned out by much proud talk of generations of the royal family serving in wars dating back to the days when they were fought with swords and horses and men in steel loincloths. Even Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother, served briefly as a 19-year-old member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II, doing maintenance work on Army vehicles.
The last royal to see combat action was Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, who served during the Falklands War 25 years ago. Sure, say the critics, but is cruising to Argentina really the same as commanding troops in Iraq, where a dozen British soldiers have been killed this month alone?
Then last Thursday, the tabloids worked themselves up into a brand new Harry Frenzy.
"Harry Won't Fight," screamed the Sun, using one syllable more than usual for a three-word tabloid headline.
The paper rolled out the big "SUN EXCLUSIVE" logo, clearly still feeling cocky after its world-beating scoop two weeks ago that Harry's brother, Prince William, and girlfriend Kate Middleton were kaputsky.
The problem: Army chiefs were reconsidering Harry's deployment. With violence spiking off the charts in Basra, the defense ministry, Charles and Elizabeth seemed to be having a little re-think about sending the Lad. Had anyone really, really, really thought through the consequences of Harry's death? And what if Harry were kidnapped? Is Britain ready for the truly unspeakable possibilities of that?
Last month Britain was knocked for a loop when Iran scooped up 14 British sailors and marines and held them in Tehran for two weeks. Presumably Harry, a highly trained member of one of the Army's most elite units, would not, as one of the captured sailors did, cry a bucket of terrified tears because an Iranian meanie said he looked like Mr. Bean. But visions of Princess Diana's baby boy on grainy insurgent videos on the Internet are a nightmare no one dares contemplate too closely.
Some have suggested that if Harry has to go to Iraq, maybe a desk job on base might be a better idea.
For his part, Harry has showed no signs that he's planning to go anywhere but Iraq -- with pit stops at a couple of his favorite exceptionally expensive and exclusive London nightclubs along the way, naturally. Harry and Wills love a good night out.
Sunday's papers chronicled what all agreed was Harry's farewell speech to his buddies at the Mahiki nightclub, one of those London spots that help separate Daddy from his millions one fruity cocktail at a time. Harry, in jeans, showed up with his girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who wore a bright red dress that made her look like a Ferrari with tousled blond hair.
William, according to the Mail on Sunday, anesthetized away thoughts of his brother's impending departure and his recent split from Middleton. By the paper's scorecard, William bought a few $200 Treasure Chest cocktails (brandy and peach liqueur topped with a bottle of champagne, served in a wooden chest) for his pals, followed by at least 10 $480 bottles of Dom Perignon, a few rounds of tequila shots and some syrupy potion called Coconut Grenades before hitting the dance floor with Virgin mogul Richard Branson's 21-year-old daughter, Holly.
No word yet about whether William, 24, who is also training in Harry's august regiment, is as eager to get to Iraq as Harry.
According to the papers, Harry stood up and gave a quite serious speech about how he feels about going to Iraq.
"Whether I serve on the front line or carry out a desk job in Basra, I just want to get out to Iraq and serve my country," he said, according to News of the World. "I don't know what to expect. I'm nervous, excited and apprehensive, and I'm really looking forward to it."
On Monday, Gen. Richard Dannatt, the calm and cerebral head of the Army, decided he'd had enough of the soap opera.
He issued a statement that he had made a final decision: Harry would serve with his unit in Iraq. Dannatt said Harry's status would be kept "continually under review," and he had a quiet word of advice for his friends in the press.
"I would urge that the somewhat frenzied media activity surrounding this particular story should cease in the interests of the overall security of all our people deployed in Iraq," Dannatt said.
There was no immediate announcement from the tabloids about whether they plan to stop covering the story.
Next up: Harry hits the desert.
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