Prince Harry to serve in Iraq

Prince Harry will be sent to serve in Iraq with his regiment the Blues and Royals, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The young prince is said to be "over the moon" at the news.

The tour means Harry will become the first member of the royal family to serve in a war zone since Prince Andrew saw action in the Falklands conflict 25 years ago.

The 22-year-old is trained to command 11 soldiers and four Scimitar tanks and will carry out a "normal troop commander's role", a joint statement by Clarence House and the Ministry of Defence said.

It added that "the decision to deploy him has been a military one" and that "speculation about precisely where Cornet Wales will serve, or the exact details of his role, is potentially dangerous".

Tony Blair described Prince Harry as a "very brave young man" following his decision.

He added: "I think it's very typical of him. He's a very brave young man and he's a very determined young man who wants to be part of his regiment and part of the Army.

"And I think that shows a very special character on his part."

The Blues and Royals deployment comes a day after Mr Blair announced the gradual withdrawal of British forces from Iraq.

Two squadrons from the Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR), of which Harry is part, will be deployed in May and June as part of a long-planned rotation of troops.

Prince Harry, who graduated last year from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, said in an interview in 2005 that he was keen to fight for his country.

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