he prince, who is fourth in line to the throne, has undertaken two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He was the first British royal to see combat since Prince Andrew, who piloted Royal Navy helicopters in the Falklands War.
Harry confirmed the decision in a statement released by Kensington Palace in which he said he was “incredibly lucky to have had the chance to do some challenging jobs.”
“From learning the hard way to stay onside with my colour sergeant at Sandhurst, to the incredible people I served with during two tours in Afghanistan — the experiences I have had over the last 10 years will stay with me for the rest of my life,” he said. “For that I will always be hugely grateful.”
Harry’s final assignment is a four-week stint in Australia in April and May where he’ll spend time in Sydney, Perth and Darwin.
Working with the Australian Defence Force the assignment will give the prince an opportunity to “gain an appreciation of the Australian Army’s domestic operating environment and capabilities,” Kensington Palace said.
The palace said Harry will volunteer with the British military’s Recovery Capability programme, which helps wounded service members. He’ll also actively consider other longer-term employment opportunities.
Military career
Harry graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2006 after a 44-week training course as an officer cadet and joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader.
In 2007, he spent 10 weeks in Afghanistan as a battlefield air controller until a media leak cut this tour short. He returned to Afghanistan in 2012-2013 as an apache co-pilot gunner after retraining as a helicopter pilot.
Recently, Harry has served in a staff officer role at headquarters in London where he has helped to coordinate significant projects and commemorative events involving the Army in London, including the Invictus Games.
“Captain Harry Wales, as he is known affectionately in the Army, has achieved much in his ten years as a soldier. He has been at the forefront throughout his service. He has insisted on being treated the same as his peers,” General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the General Staff said.