NZ Monarchists say save Prince Harry
April 30th, 2007 at 8:47 am by David FarrarThe Monarchist League of NZ has called for Prince Harry not to be sent to Iraq as “Royal family members of this rank are not just any ordinary democratic citizen.”
I actually think Harry’s insistence of being treated like his colleagues puts the royal family in a good light. It speaks well of his character.
The Monarchists do have one good point though – the risk of friendly fire. Having a Yank accidentally kill the third in line to the British throne would really dent the Atlantic alliance.
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April 30th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
As long as he avoids the royal wave , he should be OK
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 6:52 am
It will be a damn nuisance to have him in Iraq. Just imagine the target he would present to the terrorist groups operating there. This is totally the wrong kind of theatre for him to be in.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 7:09 am
I disagree Tim. Members of the Royal family have served in wars throughout the 20th Century. What is the point of training him to be a troop commander in the Blues and Royals if he cannot lead his men in theatre? He is a young man with pride and who knows that he would have trouble looking at himself each day if his men were to go and he could not. I think he should serve in Iraq if that is where his unit is being posted. Also, there are plenty of hiers apparent behind him in the line of succession.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 7:36 am
The Monarchist League is right, in a sense, but not in the way they think. Prince Harry is not “an ordinary democratic citizen” – he volunteered to served in the British Army and is an officer in a unit that has been lawfully and legitimately assigned to Iraq.
I respectfully submit these people would not give the proverbial twopenny toss if we were talking about the Prime Minister’s oldest son, Euan Blair (who is a few months older than Harry). Why not? Wouldn’t the assassination of the son of Tony Blair be an equally large propaganda coup?
Oh, and I guess the Monarchist League think Queen Elizabeth, her sister and mother should have been forcibly evacuated to Canada
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 8:19 am
Putting aside the kid’s act of bravery which I accept is quite genuine, he is a hot target for the terrorist groups operating there and is a clear danger to anyone unlucky enough to be serving with him. I hope the army says thanks, but no thanks.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:02 am
Tim:
First, Tim, the British Army doesn’t recruit ‘kids’ but men and women. Prince Harry is twenty two and I think he’s entitled to be referred to as an adult.
And I don’t know if we’ve both been living on the same planet, but I don’t note terrorists being too discriminating about targeting British troops – and civilians – who are totally unrelated to the House of Windsor. Sorry, folks, but I think servicemen and women have a slightly firmer grip on reality than the armchair generals at home.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:11 am
Craig, I don’t often disagree with you but in this instance I think you are completely wrong and Tim B is on the money. It’s like playing percentage golf. The deployment of the prince to this particular theatre is an open invitation to assassins. There is huge political and propoganda risk with absolutely no potential military benefit.
Vote:If I were managing the show he would not go there. There is plenty of precedent for this sort of thing during the second world war if you care to read some of the history.
May 1st, 2007 at 9:17 am
Ha! Harry is a danger to the entire British Forces over there. Those Iraqi freedom fighters will launch more attacks than ever in the hope of capturing or killing the ‘Prize’.
All he represents to anybody is the last remains of British imperialism.
The foolish boy better stay at home.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:27 am
God save the Queen and hang in Harry mate .
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:34 am
If just about any other individual British citizen was targeted for assasination in the way that insurgents plan to target Harry I can’t see how the British government would send them.
Vote:Harry himself doesn’t really have a choice, he’s damned either way, he should have joined the navy.
May 1st, 2007 at 9:34 am
Well I see that Harry is off to Iraq soon.
I hope they got a nice box to bring him home.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:41 am
I don’t see why the Monarchist League is worried. Harry doesn’t have any Von Windsor blood anyway, does he? Product of Hewitt and Diana and all that, after all….
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:51 am
Max wrote “I hope they got a nice box to bring him home.”
I think you are a sad case to say that .
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:57 am
It is a calculated risk.
There was similar talk in the UK during the Falklands war, when Prince Andrew served.
Sure, if Harry were captured, then it would be a problem.
However, if he were harmed, or killed, then there would be a public backlash all right, but it would be a backlash that would manifest in the form of a desire for revenge, not in a desire to pull out of the war.
As an ex-pat pom, I can tell you that even the most ardent Republican would feel that the country was duty bound to avenge any harm to an heir to the throne. National pride is more important to the British than is realized by many.
It is no coincidence that the bomb attack that killed Earl Mountbatten was not followed up by further attacks by the IRA on Royal family members. I have heard from people in the know that there were some unpubliscised incidents that occurred in the wake of that that sent a very clear message about escalation.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 10:13 am
hes only going cause charlie aint his dad..
the dude looks just like the guy di was banging back in the day
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 10:13 am
One of Prince Andrew’s jobs as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands War was to put his chopper in front of any exocet that threatened to impact with his carrier, the Invincible. Not a job without danger I would say.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 10:31 am
Didn’t royalty once lead the army from the front – “Once more unto the breach dear friends” and all that. Some like Richard 111 died on the battlefield. Perhaps we could have Harry crying,”A tank, a tank, my kingdom for a tank.”
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 10:32 am
“I have heard from people in the know that there were some unpubliscised incidents that occurred in the wake of that that sent a very clear message about escalation.”
As someone who was in NI at the time of Mountbatten’s assassination, I never heard of any “unpublicised incidents” to make the IRA back off. In any case, the real damage done that day was at Narrow Water, rather than Mullaghmore, an attack that caused more concern for the security forces than the bombing in Sligo.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 10:37 am
“the dude looks just like the guy”
Heh. I think he looks like Prince Philip, and I suspect that DNA testing was done before he was born & if he had turned out not to be Charles’ kin… well…
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 10:40 am
” if he had turned out not to be Charles’ kin… well…”
That knowledge would have been buried as deep as possible
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 11:15 am
Max wanked:
“All he represents to anybody is the last remains of British imperialism.”
He is a young man who volunteered for the army. He could have just gone off making docos and doing stage shows like Uncle Edward.
and then Max spluttered:
” hope they got a nice box to bring him home.”
I guess your symapthies were standing next to Valerie Morse on Anzac Day.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 11:40 am
Oh please let’s not glorify the war record of Prince Andrew, I am old enough to remember the Falklands war and at the time it was said if Andrew was potentially in harms way he would be discretely removed. There was certainly no missile diverting helicopter flights for him.
The major problem with being a royal is what to do with your life, the military seems like a good option because you are seen to be doing something for your country (rather than just getting drunk all the time and punching photographers), only slight problem is what to do in a war?
I congratulate Harry for wanting to go but really how will he do anything useful? He is bound to be protected by Special Forces when he is there and that ties up resources that would probably be better deployed doing other things. It might be good PR for the British Army but if he is killed or injured it will be a massive victory for the insurgents.
My guess is Harry will do a few high profile patrons but send most of his time heavily protected in the British Army compound.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Rocket Boy,
The UK did not get things all its own way in the Falklands.
P. Andrew did, from the accounts I have heard, fly actual missions.
Staying on the ship would not have been that much safer anyway, remember HMS Sheffield & HMS Coventry?
Not trying to make a hero out of him, but it does appear that he did a job, pretty much the same as the other pilots.
My guess is that, being in his early 20′s, P. Harry will want to stand on his own feet.
Rather than well publiscised patrols, I’d suggest a low profile is the best protection, and they’ll probably put him in one of the quieter places & let things appear as normal as possible.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Craig I think I am enitiled to refer to Prince Harry as a kid, but there is not point launching into a huge debate about his his manifest immaturity. But yes if he is killed then that will be a huge propaganda victory for the terrorists and a huge blow for Blair.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Britain has lost 120 dead and hundreds more seriously injured.
People showing as much concern for their lives as the life of one young officer would be nice to see.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:20 pm
All those who think he’d be targeted… how exactly do you think the insurgents will do that? They don’t have the ability, in general, to take hostages and most of their attacks are IEDs on passing convoys (not many in the British area either). Even if they came face-to-face with his unit, they’ll hardly recognize him with his helmet and goggles on. It’s a total fallacy that he’ll draw fire on his unit… not like he’s going to ride around on a royal steed with some type of crown on his head. Idiots. Monarchist League are idiots too. I respect the royals because they do this type of thing!
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I am sure their families felt the loss . Do you have any children sonic ?
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:21 pm
They should send him here as GG – that’d keep him out of harm’s way – and think of the tourism revenue!
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:41 pm
DALLY…My thoughts exactly.. The lad shows that the blood of Richard the Lionheart does indeed course through his veins. Richard was captured and held for ransom. If Harry is captured its a case of losing his head on TV. Strategically it doesn’t seem a good idea to involve him in the front line of an Islamic conflict, wiser to station his unit on another front.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Det CIU, I know from personal experience the pain the families feel. I was commenting on the Monarchist League et al.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 4:13 pm
As a Monarchist who will remain so to the bitter end I think our young brave Prince should go and fight in the Holy War just as his forebears did. The mad Muzzies are mostly killing their own The stats speak for themselves.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 8:11 pm
I reckon there is a bit of bloody stupidity going on in this thread.
Craig Ranapia however, nailed it.
He is not a ‘kid’ however much Tim Barclay feels entitled to call him one. Do you think every other 22 yr old in the military is a kid Tim? Are you in the services or do you just let ‘Kids’ do your fighting for you. Show some bloody respect mate.
As for the much ballyhooed insurgent threats, words almost fail me at the reaction many here are having. Insurgents threaten people. It’s propaganda.
Smack talk.
Once it was announced that Harrry was probably going of course his enemies would start yabbering about what they are going to do to him, and how they are gonna mess him up real nice etc. etc.
So what. Have they magically developed the ability to target individual junior officers? Are the Brits that compromised by informants? Or do you all think that up untill now the insurgents have been taking it easy and holding back and that the arrival of Harry is the last straw, and now they will start playing hardball?
Did any of the folk here who think it’s a bad idea for Harry to go in light of the ‘threats’ think about what a propaganda victory it would be if the 3rd in line to the throne was held back? That’s why they made the threats. The odds are overwhelming that he will be fine and everyone will forget the silly threats. On the off chance that they get him, yes, it will be a huge PR victory for the insurgents. But if they fail to send him in face of those threats, (as worrywarts here propose) they get the PR victory of making the Brits look like cowards.
Kinda strange how whenever some Muslim fanatic nutjob starts talking shit so many conservatives crap in their pants.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 8:36 pm
He is a kid and so are the other 22 year olds who are putting their lives on the line. They are just kids too and it pains me that a number will be killed or injured.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Ok, at least you’re consistant. I think what gets my back up a little about the word ‘kid’ is that it seeems to imply that they are not capable of making adult decisions. I do not see any less of a tragedy in the death of ‘young adults’ in this context, and calling them kids (to my mind) is an insult.
But I understand that that is not your intent.
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Sorry I am not up to date on all the Royalist stuff but can someone explain how Harry can be related by blood (is that DNA?) to Richard the Lionheart? I thought the current lot are a bunch a Germans. Maybe Richard passed through Munich on the way to the Crusades?
Vote:May 1st, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Camryn and Pascal’s Bookie.
Vote:How do you win at chess? It’s well established that the insurgents have people inside Iraqi government forces and organisations, several of the suicide bombers were police officers or were definitely assisted by the Iraqi police or military. Both the British and Americans work closely with Iraqi units. The recent suicide attack inside the green zone is believed to have had inside assistance. I think it’s fair to say that the British have been targeted far less that the American or Iraqi forces, would the insurgents switch their resources to targeting the British, especially Harry’s unit, in the hope of gaining a significant propaganda coup? I think so, they are smart enough to know that they will only win by sapping the resolve of the occupation forces, and if they think killing Harry would serve that ends, targeting him would be the logical thing to do.
May 1st, 2007 at 11:28 pm
“Wouldn’t the assassination of the son of Tony Blair be an equally large propaganda coup?”
Thank you for telling me that Blair has a son named Euan, I didn’t know that.
Vote:May 2nd, 2007 at 12:47 am
Have him join the army “anonymously”.
Otherwise, it’s a total sham, and a massive waste of taxpayer dollars. As well as a threat to the soldiers he fights alongside, not to mention himself.
Vote:May 2nd, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I hope Ahmadinejad sends a whole truck load of bombs to fire at poor little Harry.
Thatll teach him for participating in this illegal invasion and killing 655,000 Iraqis and also for making the lives of millions of Iraqis miserable – especially the 4 million plus Iraqi refugees that the mainstream media dosent want to talk about (bad press).
Vote:May 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 pm
The Hawk, good point. Even if he is related to Charles, I doubt even the most infinitesimally small drop of the Plantagenet blood is there.
Vote:May 2nd, 2007 at 1:50 pm
The really sad thing is that Harry clearly just wants to serve his country, but because of his birth into the Royal family he may be denied that chance. No other young Brit joining the armed forces has that worry.
Vote:May 3rd, 2007 at 9:20 am
Technically the Windsors can trace their line back to the likes of Richard I; the family tree jumps around a few times, sometimes through daughters who married someone else in Europe (such as Scotland (hence the Stuarts), or Germany (hence the Hanoverans) but the line does eventually end up back to those Norman kings.
Vote: