The Burden of Being Royal

British army reconsiders sending Prince Harry to Iraq by Robin Millard Thu Apr 26, 1:46 PM ET LONDON (AFP) - Britain's army chiefs are reviewing plans to send Prince Harry to Iraq amid fears he could be targeted, officials said Thursday, but friends downplayed warnings he may quit if prevented from going. (YahooNews)

This is a no win situation for any of the players involved. If the Royal Family was the type that has just sat around and counted their millions, I would have a hard time finding any sympathy, but service to the country is something that every member of the family has done and in many cases, done selflessly. I am enough of a cynic to know a PR ploy when I see one and this is not one, not by a long shot. Harry, like his Uncle Andrew, is unlikely to ever sit on the throne. Also, like his Uncle, he has found a way to do some good and keep himself out of trouble while doing it. I support him. When Andrew went to the Falklands, there was not this sort of hue and cry, but that was a different time and a different sort of war. There is no question in my mind that the men in Harry's company see him as nothing other than a skilled fighter. More over, I suspect the members of their families for the most part feel the same way.

However, Harry is a Prince of England, and Al-Quada do not play fair. Iraq is not a war I would want my own child to be deployed to and I think, in this case, keeping Harry out of Iraq is probably the best of the "bad" decisions.