Forty-four gruelling weeks of officer training come to an end for Prince Harry today as he graduates from Sandhurst Military Academy. The young royal's brother William will be there to congratulate him after the passing out parade, along with Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and his grandparents the Queen and Prince Philip.
The 21-year-old will also be looking forward to being reunited with South African girlfriend Chelsy Davy, who received an escort from armed police upon her arrival at Heathrow Airport, when they meet up for the traditional graduation ball later in the evening.
To his fellow soldiers the third-in-line is now known as Second Lieutenant Harry Wales. And he certainly looked the part in newly released photographs of his final weeks at the academy. The pictures, taken during manoeuvres in Cyprus last month, show the prince in combat fatigues with his face covered in camouflage paint.
Crawling through long grass with his rifle at the ready, Harry was one of over 200 cadets who proved their mettle in Operation Threshold. It won't be the last test of his combat skills, however, as he is due to start training with the Blues and Royals after a short break.
Joining the Army's oldest and most senior regiment will give him the chance to learn from Britain's most experienced soldiers. The Blues and Royals have served in every major conflict of the last two decades, including Kosovo, Bosnia, the Falklands and both Gulf wars. Their newest recruit is to serve in an armoured reconnaissance unit, eventually becoming a troop commander in charge of 11 men and four light tanks.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
