Harry by Angela Levin

Author:Angela Levin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2018-05-09T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Harry’s War

While Harry waited impatiently to hear the exact date of his departure, his grandmother was having several meetings with General Dannatt to try to make it happen. It took a great deal of planning and effort. He needed to be posted where there would be some action but where his presence wouldn’t put his fellow soldiers in even more danger. Although it couldn’t have been easy for the Queen to help send her much-loved grandson into a dangerous war, she, more than most, understood the concept of duty. She also knew that the effect on Harry if he was rejected could be devastating.

It quickly became obvious that it was crucial the British media was on side because even if Harry got out of the UK without being recognised, soldiers stationed with him would immediately know who he was and could be tempted to sell their story. The only way it could work was if there was a complete media blackout throughout the time he was in Afghanistan. There is a precedent for this in kidnap cases, where the British press has for many years agreed on a total news blackout while the case is ongoing in return for a full briefing and access to everyone involved once the victim has been released. Senior newspaper, radio and TV executives were called to a meeting and were told that if they agreed to a blackout, a reporter and photographer would, in exchange, be given access to Harry in the war zone as long as nothing would be revealed until he returned safely home. Some of the left-wing media were reluctant to go along with the plan but eventually agreed.

Only a very tight group knew about Harry’s placement both in the UK and in Afghanistan and Dannatt sighed with relief as he told the Queen, and subsequently the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, the good news. The ambassador in Kabul was not informed. Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence, who was also in the secret, did not believe the agreement would hold. ‘You’ll never get away with it,’ he said. General Dannatt, the Queen and Prince Charles knew for Harry’s sake they had to try. It’s hard to imagine anyone else being so indulged by the top brass.

Later Harry commented: ‘[The Queen] was very pro my going then, so I think she’s relieved that I get the chance to do what I want to do. She’s a very good person to talk to about it. Her knowledge of the army is amazing for a grandmother – I suppose it’s slightly her job.’

A senior officer explained to me what was worked out: ‘We decided not in the end to give Harry the position of troop commander that he had trained to be as it involves a bunch of soldiers and it’s more complicated to find the appropriate time to send them all over. Instead we went with forward air controller, which we sent him to train for in Canada. We felt it was the best specialist role at this stage in his career.

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