At first, Queen Elizabeth II wanted her grandsons, Prince Harry, and Prince William, to enlist in the military and fight in battles. But, it was finally determined that only Prince Harry would be sent to battle since Prince William, the heir apparent, would be in too big of a danger.
The former British Army General Sir Mike Jackson recounts a talk with the Queen about her grandchildren in the upcoming ITV documentary “The True Crown: Inside the House of Windsor.” Jackson said that since the Queen is “extremely intelligent,” chiefs should be prepared for their meetings with her.
The Queen reportedly said, “My grandchildren have accepted my shilling, so they must perform their job,” according to Jackson, on one occasion. The queen ultimately came to the decision that Prince William wouldn’t be sent to battle because of the higher danger connected to his place in the line of succession. For Prince Harry, who is presently sixth in line, the risk was deemed “acceptable.”
Prince William was keen to go to war in Afghanistan, but “complicated” circumstances and counsel from knowledgeable people kept him from doing so, according to Mark Cann, head of the British Military Foundation.
Cann admitted that military members who have not been on active duty can feel let down, especially if some of their friends had taken part in combat missions.
According to People, Prince William served in the military for more than seven years, working as a search and rescue helicopter pilot, an air ambulance pilot, and a member of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
In contrast, Prince Harry served in the British Military Services for eleven years, including two deployments in Afghanistan. The Duke of Sussex spoke about his service in the military and his deployment in his biography “Spare,” confessing to killing 25 Taliban soldiers.
Prince Harry launched the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport competition for wounded, ill, and injured servicemen and veterans, after leaving the military. He underlined in his biography that serving in the military was “a responsibility, a job, and a service” to his nation and that he tried to be the greatest soldier he could be.
Moreover, he said that keeping quiet about his wartime experiences had been counterproductive, so he decided to tell his tale with the goal of encouraging others.