The blood in Prince Harry has regality beyond the cornerstone of his existence on royal soil. His roots have the touch of military expertise that bears witness to his rise from regiment to lieutenant. Having served the military front lines for a decade, the Duke’s connection to the forces remained steadfast through the Invictus Games. Recently, his serving of the country was recognized by the Living Legends of Aviation, marking him as one of the four people inducted for the title.

As the Prince takes home the honor of a new title, let’s take a look back at his long run in the armed forces.

Prince Harry’s military past

Once a devoted servant of the British Military, Prince Harry worked in the forces through 10 long years. The Duke had undertaken two Afghanistan tours during his time in the force which led to his qualification as an Apache Aircraft Commander. In May 2005, Prince Harry began the 44 weeks of Officer Cadet Training after passing the Regular Commissions Board, furthering his entry into RMAS. The next year, he was commissioned as an Army Officer after joining the Blues and the Royals. 

In 2007, his deployment as the forward air controller in Afghanistan took place for 10 weeks. After 5 years, in 2012, he retrained as an Apache pilot in the Army Air Corps. He returned for a second tour to Afghanistan that year itself with the role of helicopter co-pilot and marksman. Amidst this, his position transformed into the shoes of a lieutenant and then a captain. Following his decade-long service, his retirement from the forces was confirmed in 2015. 

Prince Harry’s military duty is a widely known fact. The references even found a place in his tell-all memoir, Spare.

Prince Harry’s army life references in Spare

Prince Harry will receive the Living Legends of Aviation title at an award ceremony hosted by John Travolta in Beverly Hills on January 19. By this time, the nitpicks of his army service have been revealed many times by the Duke himself in Spare. Apart from his claims of going head-to-head with the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Prince also described how the duty helped him overcome the tough days after Princess Diana’s demise. 

The Prince’s love for his uniform took several mentions in his book and even in an interview last year that became America’s favorite. Furthermore, he also made claims of finding normalcy in his role to serve the nation. Eventually, his dedication led to his founding of the Invictus Games in 2014. This venture involves healthy competition between the injured and wounded members of the army force. Now, given his outspokenness and undeniable passion for his militant past, his receiving this title seems all the more worth it.

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