The Ministry of Defense has confirmed Prince Harry will be with his regiment, the Blues and Royals, when it heads for Iraq as part of a long-planned rotation of troops. The news means he will become the first royal to go into active service since his uncle, Prince Andrew, served in the Falklands War in 1982.
Harry, who is known to colleagues as Troop Commander Wales, trained at the elite Sanhurst military academy, graduating in April last year. Since then he has become qualified to lead a unit acting as the "eyes and ears" of the Army.
An official Clarence House statement stated: "The decision to deploy him has been a military one, made by The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannat, in conjunction with Cornet Wales' commanding officer. The Royal Household has been consulted throughout," it added.
Exact details of the 22-year-old's role and whereabouts will be kept strictly under wraps as the statement warned any speculation could be "potentially dangerous". The announcement comes as Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs 1,600 British troops would return from Iraq in the next few months.
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