British Billy and Princes William and Harry

  • Published
  • By British Billy
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH --  I have never met Princes William or Harry, but I think, were the opportunity ever to occur, we would find we have a lot in common. They are good-looking, fun-loving, sensitive and well-informed by all accounts, much like myself. From the moment of their births, they have been the centre of media sensation and speculation, not just here in the U.K., but worldwide.

Prince William was born at 9:03 p.m. June 21, 1982, at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. A bulletin announced the royal baby weighed seven pounds, one and a half ounces. He is the elder son of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in 1997. His younger brother is Prince Harry. He was born at 4:20 p.m. Sept. 15, 1984, at the same hospital as William, weighing six pounds, 14 ounces. William is second in line to the British throne, after his father, and Harry is third in line.

Until they came of age, media coverage of Princes William and Harry was limited. However, as they have become young men with military careers, social lives and girlfriends, they have had to learn how to manage their lives in the spotlight. In previous generations, royalty never had to contend with such intense scrutiny by the press. Nowadays, youthful mistakes and misadventures have received global coverage. Nevertheless, both princes are generally regarded with much affection by the British public.

After high school, Prince William travelled to Chile and Belize, worked on British dairy farms and visited countries in Africa. He then chose to study at St. Andrew's University in Fife, Scotland, where he gained a degree in Geography in 2005.

After a period of work experience, Prince William joined the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, as an officer cadet. He was commissioned as an army officer in front of Her Majesty the Queen at Sandhurst in December 2006 and joined the Household Cavalry (also known as the Blues and Royals) as a second lieutenant.

Although still a lieutenant in the Household Cavalry, Prince William is now training to be a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force. At the same time, he is also president or patron to a number of charities and organisations whose work he wishes to support.

Prince Harry also took a gap year after high school, visiting Australia, Argentina and Africa, where he made a documentary about the plight of orphans in Lesotho.

Prince Harry entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in May 2005. He successfully completed a 44-week training course as an officer cadet, before being commissioned in April 2006 as a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry, like his brother.

During this period, Prince Harry co-founded the charity Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of their mothers (Sentebale means 'Forget me not') to support orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho.

Over the past few weeks, there has been news coverage of both Princes William and Harry visiting Africa and Lesotho in particular. The closeness of the two brothers has been evident throughout. The media particularly enjoyed the range of comical facial expressions made by Princes William and Harry at a photo call alongside a five-metre African rock python. Also this week, Prince Harry has paid a two-day visit to Mozambique to visit minefields being cleared by the HALO Trust, a British charity and the world's largest demining agency.

In February 2008, Prince Harry completed more than two months service with the British Army in Helmand province, Afghanistan, as a 'Forward Air Controller' for NATO forces and in January 2009, he began a two-and-a-half year training course to become a fully operational, full-time Army Air Corps helicopter pilot. He remains an officer in the Household Cavalry during the training period.

What the future holds for these two fine young princes is anybody's guess, but there is great speculation that a royal engagement will soon be announced. Prince William and his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, who both met while studying at Edinburgh University, seem to be well matched, but nothing is official as yet.

We British love a happy royal event, and I have my paws crossed and my Union flag at the ready, should there be a need for me to wave it.