Will Prince Harry wear his military uniform to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral? A look at its military history
Prince Harry, like his brother Prince William, had a distinguished career in the British Army in his early adulthood and at the height of the war in Afghanistan. The young prince eventually rose to the rank of captain and flew Apache attack helicopters with the Royal Air Force. To this day, the Duke of Sussex works with veterans’ charity groups to support injured soldiers and their families.
In May 2005, Harry completed a 44-week training course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to train as an officer cadet, which combined extensive physical training with academic endurance. By April 2006, the prince had completed training and would join a British Army cavalry regiment known as the Blues and Royals. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attended the Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst after Harry was made an army officer.
After two years with the Blues and Royals, the Prince began training to become an Army Air Corps pilot in January 2009 and was eventually selected to learn to fly an Apache Attack helicopter.
How long did Prince Harry serve in Afghanistan?
Throughout his military career, Prince Harry served on two operational deployments to Afghanistan. The first was for ten weeks in Helmand Province as a forward air controller from 2007 to 2008. The Duke’s second deployment was for 20 weeks from 2012 to 2013 as an Apache pilot. By this point, the prince had reached the rank of captain and was placed in 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment of the 16 Air Assault Brigade.
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Prince Harry has completed two tours of Afghanistan while serving in the British Army for over a decade.
(John Stillwell POOL/Tim Graham Picture Library)
“Captain Harry Wales, as he was known in the military, traveled to the United States of America in October 2011 to complete the final elements of the Apache Conversion to Role course where he learned how to operate the aircraft and its weapon systems in a variety of challenging operational scenarios,” according to the royal family’s website.
Harry served for approximately 30 weeks while deployed to Afghanistan with the British Army and 10 years in the Army as a whole.
Did he fight on the front line?
Harry was deployed to Afghanistan when fighting on the American and British sides was at its peak against the Taliban following the September 11 attacks in the United States.
In September 2012, Harry was deployed and served as an Apache helicopter pilot at Camp Bastion, located in Helmand Province. He was a member of the Joint Aviation Group responsible for providing air support to the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan military forces.
During his time in Afghanistan, the Taliban had put a bounty on his head, forcing the military high command to move Harry from his post to a safe location for parts of his tour.
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Why can’t Harry wear his military uniform to the Queen’s funeral?
Prince Harry lost his military titles after he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their roles in the royal family. However, a royal expert told Fox News Digital that Harry would be allowed to wear his uniform with the permission of his father, King Charles III. Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
“I’m glad the king thought better of it,” Shannon Felton Spence told Fox News Digital. “It’s the right thing to do. The Queen was immensely proud of Prince Harry’s service, as her grandmother and as Commander-in-Chief.”
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Separately, Buckingham Palace only allows current working family members with military credentials to wear uniforms at funerals.