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Posted by Kate Butler May 16, 2007 |
It’s finally been announced that Prince Harry, third in line for the British throne, will not be going to Iraq to fight. This is, of course, a reversal of an earlier decision which saw Harry’s troops headed for the dangerous battleground in the near future. The decision was made, according to the spokesperson, because Harry’s presence would have been a danger to himself and the troops (insurgents might have made extra attempts on the lives of his contingent had he been there).
As discussed in a previous blog entry, there has been a curious lack of coverage on this topic, especially in North America. This has been due in part to the disfavor with which the war is viewed by many members of the British public. However, with this sudden reversal in policy, Harry comes out of the whole ordeal looking brave and heroic. Here is a prince who could have said that he did not want to put himself at risk, and most people would have understood, and yet he valiantly declared to the world that he wanted to fight alongside the rest of the troops. Now, because the army has decided that he will not be allowed to go, he is saved from having to do his duty there (which he may genuinely have wanted to do), but did not have to be the one to come out looking cowardly.
This whole incident ends up being a good publicity piece for the British monarchy: the youngest grandson of the Queen is an honorable young man who wants to do his duty, but the powers that be will not let this happen. To a public that has been against the war for some time now, this good will on the part of the Royal family can only be seen as selfless. The Windsors come out of this in a win-win situation: Harry does not have to go to Iraq, and they look good in the eyes of the public for the Prince being so brave in the first-place.
Media coverage of the whole debacle, then, while negative at times when it comes to the war, has been positive when it comes to Harry’s role in the army. This final piece of news about him not going to the Middle East, which of course must be covered by both the tabloids and the ‘serious’ papers, ends on a high-note for the Royal family.