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Opinion

The Many Facets of Prince Harry

Prince Harry of Wales

Prince Harry of Wales
photo credit: Glyn Lowe Photoworks via photopin cc

When I think about HRH Prince Harry of Wales, many different words come to mind; words like kind, charming, funny, loyal, and loving. Prince Harry is a man with many different facets, or layers. These layers make him one of the most beloved members of the royal family today. He is able to separate work (military), royalty, family, and play very well in a way that many people (royal or not) are unsuccessful. I thought it would be fun to examine Prince Harry closer to see just what he’s made of!

Family Focused
Prince Harry has always been family focused. From his relationship with his parents and brother to his relationship with his sister-in-law, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry has proven time and again that family comes first. One of the most poignant images I have of Prince Harry’s youth is him walking behind his mother’s coffin in September 1997; atop the casket, a card addresses to ‘Mummy.’ Probably the most important person in a young boy’s life is his mother. During this age, she teaches him many important life lessons. The look on his face said it all; he was a devastated young boy. In the same church, over a decade later, Prince Harry was celebrating a more exciting and lively event … his brother’s wedding! As he escorted Prince William to the altar, you could see the excitement and happiness written all over his face. As he lovingly turned to William and said, “Wait ’till you see her!,” I couldn’t help but tear up. Here is a brother, although deemed “unimportant” and the “spare” by many, loves his brother enough to consider his brother’s happiness his own. Another example of his family orientation was during the 2012 London Olympic Games as he cheered on his cousin, Zara Phillips to an equestrian silver medal.

Charity Centered
Sentabale, Prince Harry’s charity, helps children in Lesotho (Africa) who have been affected by AIDS, a disease his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was passionate about. He also is patron of many other Great Britain based charities, such as Walking with the Wounded, WellChild and The HALO Trust. While on official charitable visits, Prince Harry is superb at showing the value of the charity’s work. Although crowds gather to see him, Prince Harry is able to truly showcase the charity in a way many royals are unable to successfully accomplish. His work has changed the lives of countless people.

Prince Harry plays sitting volleyball with wounded warriors, Misty May-Treanor

photo credit: DVIDSHUB via photopin cc

“Party Prince”
From the moment Prince Harry “flew the coup,” he has had a party-boy image and has been a favorite target of the tabloids. Whether it was turning his father’s basement into a club, coming out of bars intoxicated early in the morning, or his most recent Las Vegas trip, Prince Harry has shown the world that he loves to have fun. Even when on official engagements, he has an informality about him, his speciality: dancing! I think it’s important for everyone to remember that Prince Harry is only twenty-eight and is behaving as such. It is unfair to judge him when this stage of his life allows him to live this type of lifestyle.

Serviceman
Maybe the most important facet of Prince Harry’s life is his role in the military. He has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving Queen and Country. Although he did not attend university, Prince Harry was able to graduate from Sandhurst in 2006, before Prince William. His time in the military has allowed him a normal life as Captain Wales. In a post-overseas tour interview, Captain Wales said that his fellow comrades mainly treated him as just one of the guys. I believe this fact is why he loves being a military man so much. He and Prince William crave normality and their military careers allow them this.

Uncle
Surely you didn’t think I could write a blog post without mentioning Prince George, did you? But, in all seriousness, Prince Harry has had two official engagements since the birth of the third in line to the throne and has spoken of his joy both times. He seems to be just like any other doting uncle who is overjoyed at the birth of his brother’s son. I can only imagine the excitement that he feels at the prospect of sharing his vast knowledge of life with his nephew.

Gorgeous (Hi, @aliciahockly!)
I asked on Twitter this week about the word that comes to mind when you think about Prince Harry. Much to my delight, one lovely Twitter friend backed up my belief that Prince Harry is indeed a handsome man. I know that all the ladies out there will agree with us. I mention this only because his charming personality allows him to reach people that other members of the Royal Family would not necessarily be able to.

Overall, Prince Harry is just “one of the guys,” who just happens to be of royal blood. His many different facets allow him to conform to the situation and thrive in all settings. Prince Harry will forever be an integrate part of the British Royal Family, allowing the institution of Monarchy to move forward into the future!