Harry's War

The coverage of Prince Harry's deployment (and subsequent withdrawal) from Afghanistan has been excrutiating.

Now, I am not a monarchist by any stretch of the imagination, but the topic has only made me have sympathy for the Prince. He is a soldier and is serving his country without any desire for special attention. Indeed, he was quoted as describing this as the most normal he will ever be. What a sad reflection on the life he is forced to live.

The nonsense spewed out by the media about it is an insult to Harry and equally to the other servicemen and women serving in horrendous situations across the globe. It is a positive sign for our country that a member of the royal family is serving alongside his countrymen - we should be leaving him to get on with the job.

Instead, he is being returned to Britain because Afghanistan is too dangerous for him. It's one of the most hostile warzones on the planet, so by definition it is too dangerous for anyone. Withdrawing him in such a public manner is humiliating for him (when his tour to Iraq was cancelled he was attacked by some parts of the media as a coward, despite his own desire to go) and an insult to the troops who are left there, and are therefore by definition of less importance or value.

We are engaged in military actions across the world, and it is vital that if we are going to send our citizens into harm's way that we provide them with support. This whole sorry situation will have done no good whatsoever, and will have caused hurt to both Prince Harry and his colleagues.