Prince Harry has completed his 20-week tour in Afghanistan: yay!

I miss Prince Harry. Obviously, I like him a great deal, and I would even say that I like him much, much more than his brother. But even if you don’t enjoy Harry, can’t you admit that the gossip world is a much better place when Harry is around? Harry can’t go anywhere without causing a scene or busting out some inappropriate dance moves or drunkenly arranging a game of strip billiards or flirting too persuasively with his sister-in-law. Harry is just pure fun! Well, there’s good news! Harry is coming home after 20 weeks in Afghanistan, and to celebrate his return, Harry has given a bunch of new interviews. Here’s one where he discusses how happy he is that Duchess Kate is knocked up (and he’s not even the father!).

Prince Harry is on his way home from the war zone and says he “can’t wait” to become an uncle.

“Obviously I’m thrilled for both of them,” Harry, 28, says of his brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate, joking, “It’s about time.”

In an interview in Afghanistan, where he served since September, the prince says he had chatted to the couple – and didn’t text or send them a letter, despite reports he had done so – when their news was released in early December.

“I spoke to my brother and her, and they’re both very well and both very happy obviously,” he says. “I think it’s very unfair that they were forced to publicize it when they were, but that’s just the media for you.”

The royal couple revealed the pregnancy prematurely because of Kate’s hospitalization due to severe morning sickness. Harry, in charge of the weaponry on his crew’s Apache attack helicopter, was interviewed about 10 days after the pregnancy was revealed, but his remarks were kept under wraps for security reasons, released now because he’s returning to the U.K.

“I literally am very, very happy for them,” he says, “but I just only hope that she and him – but mainly Catherine – hopefully that she gets the necessary protection to allow her as a mother-to-be to enjoy the privacy that that comes with. I seriously hope that’s going to be able to happen.”

Now that he’s back from his tour of duty, is there some pressure on him to follow his brother and find a wife?

“I don’t think you can ever be urged to settle down,” he says. ” If you find the right person and everything feels right, then it takes time, especially for myself and my brother.”

But, as he has hinted before, it is hard to find the right kind of woman who isn’t going to be scared off by everything else that goes with being with a royal.

“You ain’t ever going to find someone who’s going to jump into the position that it would hold,” he says. “Simple as that.”

[From People]

First, I love that he says “I literally am very, very happy for them” – it reminds me of Joe Biden. LITERALLY. Harry is literally happy for them. Harry is literally excited to become an uncle. Second of all, “I think it’s very unfair that they were forced to publicize it when they were, but that’s just the media for you.” WTF? The media didn’t FORCE them to announce when they did, Kate and William thought it would be smart to announce it early because Kate had to go to the hospital. The announcement was a PR strategy, weighing what to say and when and the media didn’t “force” anything.

Harry also discussed how William was “privately frustrated” that he (Will) couldn’t serve in Afghanistan, and how Harry is jealous that William gets to have a wife and a home:

Prince Harry, who has just finished his second deployment in Afghanistan, where he was a co-pilot gunner in Apache helicopters, said: ‘I think there is a bit of jealousy, not just the fact that I get to fly this, but obviously [William would] love to be out here. And to be honest with you, I don’t see why he couldn’t. His job out here would be flying the IRT [Immediate Response Team], or whatever, doing Chinook missions. Just the same as us – no-one knows who’s in the cockpit. Yes you get shot at, but if the guys who are doing the same job as us are being shot at on the ground, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us being shot at as well. People back home will have issues with that, but we’re not special. The guys out there are, simple as that.’

‘Before coming out here I was very jealous of my brother,’ he said. ‘It’s operational flying back home. You get all the luxuries of operational flying – the pride, as you call it – and the reward of basically saving people’s lives, which is exactly what we try and do as well. And back home he gets to go home to his wife and dog, whereas out here we don’t. We’re stuck playing PlayStation in a tent full of men.’

While Harry flies an Apache helicopter, his older brother flies a completely different Sea King helicopter.

‘He could fly this. I’d like to think I could fly his,’ he said.

[From The Mail]

Do you detect a bit of a brotherly pissing contest? I do. Harry is basically saying that William could totally serve in Afghanistan, if only William would force the issue. Considering it’s widely believed that William barely scrapes by with his RAF duties – so much so that he’s practically being forced to quit this year – Harry IS calling out his brother. And it’s funny.

Also – Harry described himself as “100% single” in the interview. Poor Cressida Bonas.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

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48 Responses to “Prince Harry has completed his 20-week tour in Afghanistan: yay!”

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  1. gee says:

    I am also 100% single! Harry, call me 🙂

  2. Faye says:

    He’s cute enough, I guess, but he’s not exactly the smartest or most articulate person around, is he? Not to be snotty about it, but you’d think someone with access to that much education would sound a bit more . . .clever. And I know we’re never supposed to talk about the Nazi uniform or the racist comments, but yes, those certainly weigh against him in my opinion. And if he were an average, regular person instead of “OMG Prince Harry!,” he’d definitely get slammed for those things.

    That being said, he’s certainly the most amusing of the young royals, and good for gossip, I suppose. And props to him for actually having a real job and taking his military duties seriously.

    I did roll my eyes at his slamming of the media — because none of your family ever use them to your advantage, right, Harry? And I was highly amused by his “I was literally happy” at hearing the news of the royal sprog — because if he hadn’t said that, we might have thought he wasn’t actually happy about it?

    • berry says:

      Him slamming the press makes me think he is exactly like his brother, always moaning about it. If it bothers them that much they should become private citizens and not public ones. I’m really fed up with these spoiled princes moaning about the press.

      • flan says:

        In this particular case, I think we can give him a pass.

        He probably got the Prince William version of what happened and we all know how much is older brother likes the press.

    • GoodCapon says:

      True, yet Harry never complains about the media intrusion and privacy as much as William does. I think behind closed doors he doesn’t fully approve of them too, but he doesn’t make a show of alternately scaring and courting them compared to his older brother.

      But most of all, he doesn’t use his mother as his trump card when things don’t go his way. That’s what I like most about him. Welcome back Harry!

    • bluhare says:

      There’s another part of the interview where he talks about not being very clever and having trouble with his studies, and that he’s much better doing things.

  3. judyjudy says:

    Great! Now he can begin a 20-week tour in my nether region.

  4. JulieM says:

    Harry, I wouldn’t be too jealous of your brother going home to Waity. Somewhere out there is the match for you. And you will find her when you least expect it.

  5. Becky says:

    I just spent 15 minutes staring at his pictures over at Dlisted. God damn. Now this what a real man looks like!

  6. cw says:

    i thought he sounded kind of “slow” – like a dunce and then I thought, well, he’s just young…not…he’s pushing 30 and he can’t seem to stop the obsession with video games?

    • Ri says:

      He sounds dumb.

    • GoodCapon says:

      He was always a few bricks shy of a load. I think he admitted to not being academically strong in that Mail article.

    • JulieM says:

      Yes, Harry is definitely not a rocket scientist. There don’t seem to be any scientists in the RF. All History of Art majors. But the video game thing. Seems to be a way to entertain yourself when you are in the middle of Afghanistan and there are no clubs around. Now, if that’s all he does at home, then I would agree with you.

    • LAK says:

      what is there to do on a base in a warzone?

      Plus, he is dyslexic so books are out.

      what do you suggest he does? All of them are playing videogames, not just him. And as a gunner, he needs to be on point as far as target/shoot accuracy is concerned because that is what he is doing in the air. videogames are actually pretty good thing for him to do given his job description!

      • bluhare says:

        I never knew he was dyslexic. That certainly would explain his difficulties in school. Then again, his mother was famous for saying she wasn’t exactly a rocket scientist either.

      • LAK says:

        And look how great she turned out to be.

      • Elly says:

        Harry is dyslexic? Thought he is only non-intellectual. You know, a funny lad without interest in studies.

        I thought Beatrice is the only one with dyslexia.

      • LAK says:

        @Elly – I think they found out much later than they did B. of course that doesn’t mean that he was ever particularly interested in studies. i think both things contributed to his being academically challenged.

        I don’t rate badly people who do poorly at school. Look at Churchill. terrible at school – frequently bottom of his class =>worldclass statesman!

      • Alexandra Bananarama says:

        Beat me to it on both points.

        Games keep the reflexes and frame of mind sharp. Most games they play are tailored to sharpen their skills. Not just your basic Call Of Duty or Halo games.

        Churchill always struck me as too smart for his own good. He didn’t care to learn because there was no immediate reason or reward to do so.
        Man could outwit us and out drink us all without breaking a sweat.

        To an above poster.. Harry probably got his info straight from Will about the hospital trip.

      • LAK says:

        Alexandra Bananarama – we need to have a churchill appreciation society – outside of the usual ones.

        I am working my way through his books and speeches at the moment, having previously read biographies. i am seeing Churchillian parallels in all sorts of situations.

  7. T.C. says:

    Harry is the only Royal I can stomach because he acts more like a regular person even with all that money. Props to him for serving his country.

  8. phaksi says:

    He is so hot. I watched the doccie about him on Sky twice, and will be watching again tonight. Love him 🙂

  9. MyLittlePony says:

    Have grown to like Prince Harry over the years. He certainly is not the “smartest lad” around, but seems to be great fun, and is about the most relaxed member of the Firm. However, judging by the third pic he is likely to look more and more like Charles when he gets older. Alarming, to say the least!
    I think Wills used to be dashing before the hair-loss and general premature aging he seems to be going through right now. Btw, am I the only one here who thinks Wills has the same “mad look” in his eyes which Diana had especially when being asked something which he clearly does not like during an interview etc.?

  10. Original N says:

    Harry seems so (must state that because I’ve never met him) genuine & that is why he is allowed a pass for bad behavior in my book (and honestly, our naval officers do just as much as he did in Vegas when they go into port so I’m not certain we can judge)…I love that he completed this last tour & did not try to get out of the responsibility (when he could have done so easily). When you see him at charity events, especially those with children, it seems so natural & it appears that he is actually enjoying being there (instead of it being a “job” for which he is required to attend and then leaves at the 45 minute mark stat, ahem).

    • Angelic 20 says:

      Plus 1. He is nothing like his brother, when media published his photos he carried out his duties and went ahead with his job, but when his brother was caught lying to whole country about working and was found sun bathing he sued the media and used his d dead mother to gain sympathy. One of the things I love most about him is that he never uses Diana as an excuse or to gain sympathy like his brother does.

  11. LAK says:

    i think William would throw a hissy fit because he was required to ACTUALLY work everyday he was in Afghanistan or some other war zone.

    It’s nice of Harry to always include William in his own achievements but on the work front, he should just give up because William’s record doesn’t live up to the billing.

  12. jc126 says:

    He’s the only member of that family worth discussing, or worth a damn, because he served his country in Afghanistan. He’s not a leech. Oh, and I’d totally, TOTALLY do him, vigorously and often!

  13. rtms says:

    So is he getting special treatment in the forces? Only 20 weeks? I thought tour of duties were at least a year or more?

    • LAK says:

      No he is not. He shipped in/out with his entire unit. Depending on what is required of the unit, deployment is 5mths-1yr. His unit appears to have been deployed for just under 5mths.

      He was in a different unit that was serving on the ground which was to be a longer deployment, BUT when the media outed his presence after only 10wks, he had to be pulled out for safety of entire unit. He re-trained to serve in a unit where his presence wasn’t detrimental to the rest of the team.

  14. jwoolman says:

    He could serve his country at home. These young British royals like to play at war, even though their presence really is a liability for many reasons. What will they ever do if they run out of wars?

    • LAK says:

      At least he is serving. his brother only pretends to serve and what a waste that is.

    • Alexandra Bananarama says:

      Harry actually wants and does serve. And when he’s not overseas he’s always doing some charity work. Not just galas like his brother.
      You never hear about all Harry’s down time and extending vacations to get out of his responsibilities.

  15. KellyinSeattle says:

    Love the last pic, but think he acts like a teenager; not a nearly 30 year old man. When I think of Harry, I think of boy, not man.

    • Elly says:

      yes, he is still a sweet, wild boy… and no grown up (wise) man. His interview was… ehh boyish.

  16. Belle says:

    He doesn’t sound very well-spoken in this interview. Honestly, while he may not be the most eloquent interview around, I have heard him sound better. Maybe this was one of those ‘on the fly’ interviews where someone is asking him questions while he is (sort of) working? Sounds kind of like that to me… like he is kind of distracted by a couple of different things at once.

    Or maybe I’m just making excuses because I luuuuuuv him! 🙂

    Either way, he seems to be the most genuine and fun out of the royal batch, so he gets a pass from me.

  17. Instead of criticizing like idle haters like to do, why not nominate young ladies for him. Personally, I’d like to see him happily settled but until then, I think he should do and act as he likes. He’s completely out of the running for the crown and he’s a young man. I think he should sow all the wild oats he wants.
    Come back to Vegas Harry, we’re waiting for you.

  18. Bubbles says:

    Someone who gets that much money for not doing anything ever should not moan about anything. Ever.