Royal Watch News

Prince Harry: Army is priority over family

Jan 22, 2013, 12:02 GMT

Prince Harry

Britain's Prince Harry puts the army 'first'.

The 28-year-old royal is constantly changing how he acts in certain situations ranging from when he is working as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan - where he has just returned home from after a four-month tour of duty - hanging out with his friends or with the royal family, but he sees work as his ultimate priority.

He said: 'My father's always trying to remind me about who I am and stuff like that.

'But it's very easy to forget about who I am when I am in the army. Everyone's wearing the same uniform and doing the same kind of thing.

'Certain people remind me, 'Remember who you are, so don't always drop your guard'.

'[There are] three mes. One in the army, one socially in my own private time, and then one with the family and stuff like that. So there is a switch and I flick it when necessary.

'And I'd like to think that it's measured and balanced as the way it is. Army comes first, it's my work at the end of the day.

'No-one back home gets to see the stuff that I do while I'm at work and there's no reason why they should, especially working with this aircraft and the stuff that we do, there's no reason why it should be publicised.

'So whenever anybody sees me they presume that I'm off gallivanting around.'

While Harry enjoys his time in the army, he 'hates' being 'stuck' in Camp Bastion - the main British and American troop base in Helmand province - and would much rather be out 'in the thick of it'.

He added: 'It is a weird reality, being stuck in Bastion. For me, I hate it, being stuck here.

'I'd much rather be out with the lads in a PB [patrol base]. The last job was, for me personally, better.'

'Obviously lots of guys like the luxury and comforts of Bastion, but what's weird, as I said, is we're stuck in Bastion and what's going on out there is completely separate.

'But as soon as we're outside the fence, we're in the thick of it.

'It is a pain in the a**e being stuck in Bastion. Going into the cookhouse with hundreds of people - it's frustrating.

'But then again, I get to fly [an Apache helicopter], so it comes with pros and cons.'