Prince Harry the Afghan crusader and reluctant PR man
Who would be a Royal Prince? I have been hounded this weekend by various media organizations wanting my comments on the furor surrounding Prince Harry’s tour of duty in Afghanistan. We know how important Harry is to the national media – putting him on the front page certainly sells newspapers but the majority of callers wanted me to pursue the PR element of this story. Was it great PR or were the Ministry of Defence using the Prince as a PR pawn? When the maelstrom of this debate dies down, I am sure we will look at this situation in another light. Prince Harry has to face life with the knowledge that he is under total media scrutiny, which must be exacerbated by the tragic fate of his mother. Harry has had some negative press in the past couple of years for partying and falling drunk out of nightclubs, doing what any other boy of his age would do. But of course, he’s not like any other boy. The Royal Family are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. It must be very difficult to be Prince Harry. He’s not just some reality TV star who has chosen to do endless media interviews to identify his life, he is a real person who has made a choice to be in the armed forces and has been duly trained as a soldier. Naturally, watching his comrades and those he works with every day, fighting in Afghanistan, will make him want to fight there too. But with the conflict being so intense, Harry cannot fight against the Taliban as he’s too much of security risk, both to himself and also the men he would be fighting with. If he can’t bond with his comrades and take part like any other soldier, what can he do now? Go back to his clubbing ways or follow in the footsteps of his Uncle Andrew, a man without a portfolio, who gains negative press for being a playboy? It’s difficult enough for any young man of his age, and Harry is no exception, he needs to find a role in life. When I saw him giving his soundbites, talking about his military service, I thought him to be a very committed man, bright bloke, fulfilling what he’s been trained to do, to serve in the armed forces. So his tour of duty has been brought to an end and the situation has become a PR nightmare both for Harry and the Army. I think he deserves more respect for the fact that he has been cursed by his birth. Unlike most men of his age, Prince Harry will always be under media scrutiny and the pitfalls are far greater for him. The media will continue to feed from his carcass and expect people like me to give the necessary sound bites. Leave the country son, get a meaningful job in NGO and use your communication skills and influence for impact in a complicated world with an apocalyptical future.