Prince Harry's dual role

April 04, 2012, 9:22 AM GMT+0

Prince is 'sensible and mature' say Britons; 74% say should carry out both military and royal duties

The majority of Britons feel that third-in-line to the throne Prince Harry has grown into a 'more sensible and mature figure in recent years', while three quarters of the public say that he should be involved in both royal and military roles.

Similarly, two thirds of Britons say that Harry, who is a qualified Apache helicopter pilot, should be allowed to be deployed to Afghanistan.

  • 82% of Britons feel that third-in-line to the throne Prince Harry has grown into a 'more sensible and mature figure in recent years', while 7% disagree
  • 74% say Prince Harry should continue to carry out both royal duties and his role in the military
  • 10% say he should solely concentrate on his military career, and 6% say that he should concentrate solely on his Royal duties
  • 65% say Prince Harry should be allowed to fight in Afghanistan, while 22% say he should not be allowed

Press portrayal

In the past Prince Harry has often been seen as an immature character. In 2005, he was labelled by some as a 'neo-Nazi' when he went to a fancy dress party wearing a Nazi uniform and Swastika armband, while in 2009 he was accused of racial slurs towards a military colleague.

He has seen more positive coverage recently, however, following his qualification as an Apache helicopter pilot, and being heralded a hero for putting his first aid skills to good use when a fellow polo player was injured during a match.

Jubilee preparations

Having been deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in 2008, the Royal may yet be posted to the country again, although he has also been involved in the Jubilee preparations, accompanying his grandmother the Queen on a recent royal tour of Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica.

Harry, who has regularly expressed determination to service his country and put his privileged title 'to good use', has commented of his dual roles in this Jubilee year: 'I will help out with my grandmother whenever she needs me. The Jubilee is the Jubilee and family comes first,' he has said.

See the survey details and full results here (page 10)

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