The Royal Family has a history of members serving in the armed forces. Some held ceremonial positions, while others participated in operations and combat. Members like Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry served in the military during World War II and Afghanistan combat, respectively. While Princess Anne and Prince William did not go on operations.
A new documentary titled ‘The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor’ will be released on ITVX in April 2023. The documentary will chronicle the struggles that the Royal Family has had to combat in the past 70 years. During the documentary, many bombshell revelations surfaced. From Prince Andrew’s “overconfidence” during the Newsnight interview to Princess Margaret’s yearning for love, the documentary has it all. But, during one of the episodes, Officer General Sir Mike Jackson revealed that Queen Elizabeth II found it “too risky” to deploy Prince William for an operation.
Related: Prince Harry Reveals How Prince William And King Charles Reacted To His Drug Addiction Coverage
Prince William Was Second In Line To The British Throne
During the ITVX interview, General Sir Mike Jackson, who served as Chief of General Staff in the British Army, revealed Queen Elizabeth II’s thoughts on her grandsons serving in the armed forces. Both Prince William and Prince Harry served their time in the army.
The Duke of Sussex completed his training at The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Later, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008. Prince William completed his training and got a pilot’s license to serve in the Search and Rescue Force in Norfolk.
While one of the Queen’s grandsons fought the Taliban overseas, Prince William stayed in the homeland and served in the army. During the documentary, the General talked about his meetings with the late queen, which were confidential. However, he broke that rule to talk about her grandsons, who were deployed in different ranks in the military. He said, “She was very clear. She said, ‘My grandsons have taken my shilling, therefore they must do their duty.’ And that was that.”
However, Prince William is next in line after his father, King Charles III, and she was concerned about his safety if he gets deployed for an operation. “But it was decided that William is heir to the heir, the risk is too great. But for his younger brother, the risk was acceptable.”
In Case You Missed: What Is The ‘Suicide’ Training Flight Story That Prince Harry Mentioned In ‘Spare’?
The Prince Of Wales Wanted To Serve In Afghanistan
Due to the growing intrusion of the terrorist organization, the Taliban, the UK sent troops to Afghanistan to combat the growing terrorism in the area. The forces were deployed between 2003 and 2014 to support the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
Prince Harry was deployed in the operation, where he served until 2014. However, Prince William could not serve on the front lines, he went to become a pilot and served for seven and a half years.
A Royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, told Newsweek about Elizabeth II’s decision to have her grandsons in the army. He said, “This is exactly in line with what I would have imagined the Queen would have thought, though we should not have been told it.”
Richard continued, “Obviously for the military the risk with having William, as heir to the throne, on operations, was too great. It would also, as with Harry, increase the risk of those serving with him if it were known. William badly wanted to serve in Afghanistan, but was not allowed to.”
You Might Also Like To Read: Joe Biden Unlikely To Attend The Coronation Of King Charles III
