There was a flurry of media activity the last 48 hours surrounding
the third in line to the British throne, Diana and Charles' younger
son, Prince Harry.
Unbeknownst to most of the civilized world, Harry has been
serving with his military unit in the war in Afghanistan the past
ten weeks, under a protective blanket of media blackout, which
apparently held secure until the news was first leaked by an
Australian online source, and then released by Matt Drudge
My hat is off to Harry. Both of the princes, since their mother's
untimely departure from their world and ours, have lived full,
exuberant, lives, complete with service to Queen and country.
Harry could have just as easily stayed at home and enjoyed the
joie de' vivre for which he has become famous. After his graduation
from Sandhurst a couple of years ago, however, he was firm in his
desire to go into combat with his regiment, to the point of declaring
That the international media can maintain a ten week blackout on
anything is astonishing. Unfortunately, once this information leaked
it was impossible to leave Harry in a combat zone and risk his life
and those of his fellow soldiers, since doing so would doubtless
mark him as a target.
His homecoming has to be a bittersweet one, but marked by the
pride of a father and a brother who will one day be king,
a grandmother who is queen, and a nation who will no longer
dismiss the young prince as green or cavalier. He's earned his
stripes.
