Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

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Stravo
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Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by Stravo »

I see on CNN.com that Prince Harry passed his Army entrance exams and so will be serving in the UK's army. Now I know that Charles served, Andrew served, does this mean that it is a requirement that royalty serve in the armed forces or is merely a tradition that is encouraged in the princes? And how precisely does that get handled in terms of treatment for the prince? Will he have a DI screaming in his face whether he sucks dicks and get down and give me 50?
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Re: Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by SirNitram »

Stravo wrote:I see on CNN.com that Prince Harry passed his Army entrance exams and so will be serving in the UK's army. Now I know that Charles served, Andrew served, does this mean that it is a requirement that royalty serve in the armed forces or is merely a tradition that is encouraged in the princes? And how precisely does that get handled in terms of treatment for the prince? Will he have a DI screaming in his face whether he sucks dicks and get down and give me 50?
I don't beleive it's a requirement, it's just What They Do, IE, a tradition. I'm fairly sure, since Britain is not in major war, he will get cushy treatment.
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Post by Dirty Harry »

Like Nitram said, its just kind of a tradition. I don't think the instructors at Sandhurst will go any harder on him than they do on any other cadet. But i'm pretty sure he won't be getting any cushy treatment, he's training to be a professional soldier after all.
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Post by His Divine Shadow »

Yeah, can't go soft on him just because he's superior to normal people.
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Re: Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by PainRack »

SirNitram wrote: I don't beleive it's a requirement, it's just What They Do, IE, a tradition. I'm fairly sure, since Britain is not in major war, he will get cushy treatment.
Yeah, but imagine if he got shot down in Iraq? The outcry will be humangous. i always sorta wondered what will have happened if Prince Charles had actually been on any helicopter that crashed in the Falklands island.
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Re: Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by Sharp-kun »

SirNitram wrote: I don't beleive it's a requirement, it's just What They Do, IE, a tradition. I'm fairly sure, since Britain is not in major war, he will get cushy treatment.
Its not, I don't believe his brother did.
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Re: Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by CaptainChewbacca »

PainRack wrote:
SirNitram wrote: I don't beleive it's a requirement, it's just What They Do, IE, a tradition. I'm fairly sure, since Britain is not in major war, he will get cushy treatment.
Yeah, but imagine if he got shot down in Iraq? The outcry will be humangous. i always sorta wondered what will have happened if Prince Charles had actually been on any helicopter that crashed in the Falklands island.
You think they'd put the heir to the throne of England on front-line duty?
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Re: Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by RadiO »

CaptainChewbacca wrote: You think they'd put the heir to the throne of England on front-line duty?
While not heir to the throne, Prince Andrew was an ASW Sea King pilot and was deployed aboard HMS Invincible for the Falklands war. He participated in the rescue operation after Atlantic Conveyor was hit and destroyed by an Exocet.
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Post by CJvR »

I doubt it, the British military is volontary. However I suspect it is expected and the princes have to have something to do while waiting for their parents and grandparents to die.
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Re: Do UK Princes have to serve in the military?

Post by TheDarkling »

Sharp-kun wrote: Its not, I don't believe his brother did.
I believe Prince William also intends to join the military; he is just going through university first.
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Post by TheDarkling »

CJvR wrote:I doubt it, the British military is volontary. However I suspect it is expected and the princes have to have something to do while waiting for their parents and grandparents to die.
They can do stuff other than join the military, Prince Charles manages to keep busy with agricultural business and his charities.
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Post by Jean Paul »

I don't think it'll be cushy treatment.. if the unit he's in gets sent to war, he's going.

Prince Andrew fought in the Falklands war.

Harry may well end up deployed to Iraq.
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Post by BlkbrryTheGreat »

Jean Paul wrote:I don't think it'll be cushy treatment.. if the unit he's in gets sent to war, he's going.
You think the unit he is in will be deployed to Iraq? BWAHAHAHAHA.
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Post by Rogue 9 »

Jean Paul wrote:I don't think it'll be cushy treatment.. if the unit he's in gets sent to war, he's going.

Prince Andrew fought in the Falklands war.

Harry may well end up deployed to Iraq.
Think of the target that unit would be, though...
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Royals

Post by Aaron »

Royals do not have to serve in the military, it is sort of a tradition. Typically they serve in the navy, like Charles and Andrew. The UK policy is that while they are in the military they are treated no differently than any other soldier. You can bet that Harry will be entering as an officer and he WILL be deployed to Iraq. His unit will not recieve any special treatment.
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Re: Royals

Post by Rogue 9 »

Cpl Kendall wrote:Royals do not have to serve in the military, it is sort of a tradition. Typically they serve in the navy, like Charles and Andrew. The UK policy is that while they are in the military they are treated no differently than any other soldier. You can bet that Harry will be entering as an officer and he WILL be deployed to Iraq. His unit will not recieve any special treatment.
Well, best of luck to him when/if he does go, then. A prince of England in Iraq, though... He will be a prime target if it becomes known that he's there and where his unit is.
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Re: Royals

Post by Aaron »

Rogue 9 wrote: Well, best of luck to him when/if he does go, then. A prince of England in Iraq, though... He will be a prime target if it becomes known that he's there and where his unit is.
No doubt. And I pity his unit if they draw extra fire because of him. Hopefully the UK will keep his deployment hush-hush. From what Rob Wilson has said in the Mess the UK takes that kind of thing very seriously and doesn't release the names of those deployed.
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Re: Royals

Post by Stuart Mackey »

Cpl Kendall wrote:
Rogue 9 wrote: Well, best of luck to him when/if he does go, then. A prince of England in Iraq, though... He will be a prime target if it becomes known that he's there and where his unit is.
No doubt. And I pity his unit if they draw extra fire because of him. Hopefully the UK will keep his deployment hush-hush. From what Rob Wilson has said in the Mess the UK takes that kind of thing very seriously and doesn't release the names of those deployed.
Indeed. It is also worth noting that Prince Phillip, the Prince Consort served in action on HMS Warspite at Matapan and saw those Italain cruisers be obliterated. He later commanded a destroyer of some sort, an old V&W class iirc. Britian's Kings have led armies int he past, but the last Monarch to personally command the army in combat was George II at Dettingen.
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Post by Exmoor Cat »

One of the Queens cousins was killed whilst flying in WW2 and Lord Mountbatten, another cousin had his ship (HMS Kelly) sunk during the Crete campaign.

Also, Prince Edward completed marine training, but left shortly afterwards .
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Post by LadyTevar »

Exmoor Cat wrote:One of the Queens cousins was killed whilst flying in WW2 and Lord Mountbatten, another cousin had his ship (HMS Kelly) sunk during the Crete campaign.

Also, Prince Edward completed marine training, but left shortly afterwards .
Wasn't there an heir to the throw who's plane went down in Wales during WWII?
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