Hero Harry heads home

Harry stands in the desert in southern Afghanistan. REUTERS

WAR, what is it good for? In the case of Prince Harry, it has turned him from a hopeless prince into a national hero.

The third-in-line to the British throne had been better known for his wild-child image – smoking cannabis, drinking too much and getting into scuffles with photographers.

Now, after spending 10 weeks fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan he is being celebrated as a brave young man who served his country. He was living in a shack calling air strikes on enemy positions before being withdrawn for his own safety last week.

In a series of frontline interviews with BBC News, Harry stressed how serving in the military gave him "an opportunity to be a normal person".

"I haven't really had a shower for four days, haven't washed my clothes for a week and everything seems completely normal," he said.

Although Harry expressed a personal motivation to serve on the frontline, he was probably influenced by historical precedent too.

"It is a tradition for members of the royal family to fight for their country when there is a war going on," the British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph said.

Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew, served in the Falklands War in the 1980s against Argentina, and his grandfather, Prince Phillip, was a World War II veteran. Harry's father and brother, Prince Charles and Prince William, have also undergone military training – although they have not seen combat.

As the Queen is Commander-in-chief of the British armed forces, the news that Harry served as a real soldier has been a massive PR success for the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II said her grandson had done "a good job in a very difficult climate". The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said the nation owed Harry "a debt of gratitude" and thanked him for the "professionalism and dedication he has shown".

PR success?

But Harry's elder brother, Prince William – second in line to the British throne – and also a member of the army will never be allowed to go to the frontline. The consequences of him getting killed are considered too great.

Robert Lacey, a noted royal biographer, told the Press Association: "There is a convention that the principal heir should be kept away from real danger," he said. "As the 'spare' rather than the heir, Harry is expected by the royal family to take the ultimate military risks."

The exploits of Hero Harry have been a triumph for the army, the prince and the royals. But now the hard work really begins – Harry must now live up to expectations of the new role he has created for himself.

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生词
cannabis 大麻

dedication 献身精神

heir 继承人

precedent 先例

principal 最重要的

scuffle 混战，扭打

shack 简陋的小屋

throne 王位

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