Prince Harry is currently training to be a fulltime Army Air Corps helicopter pilot. The training course takes The Prince to several military bases across the country, and his daily life is typical of that of any other officer on his course.
Prince Harry was presented with his provisional wings from his father, The Prince of Wales, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps in May 2010, after successfully completing his initial Army Pilots course. The Prince was then selected to train on the Apache Attack helicopter.
The Prince starts his day with his fellow students in the Officer’s Mess before attending the morning briefing by commanders. The briefing consists of, among other things, the day’s orders and a weather check. The content of Prince Harry’s training course varies enormously from week to week and will include classroom-based training, simulator training and live flying.
The training sorties involve hours of preparation beforehand, preparing the route charts, practicing drills on simulators and carrying out engineering checks. Following each sortie, The Prince – who is called Lieutenant Harry Wales in his military life – takes part in a debrief with his instructors and fellow students.
The rest of the day will be spent preparing for the following day’s training sorties in the station’s Ops Room. The evening will most likely be spent in study or with fellow students in the Mess.
The training course is full-time Monday to Friday, but The Prince continues to undertake official Royal engagements. The Prince is currently Patron of ten charities and organisations, and he holds a small number of honorary military appointments.
Prince Harry and his brother Prince William share a number of joint interests, particularly supporting disadvantaged young people. Prince Harry takes a particular interest in supporting sick children, as he does through his Patronage of WellChild. Prince Harry is the co-founder of the charity Sentebale which cares for orphaned and vulnerable children in Lesotho. Prince Harry is actively involved with Sentebale on many levels, from helping physically to construct projects on the ground in Lesotho through to attending Board meetings and meeting with Trustees one-to-one at St. James’s Palace.
The two brothers often come together to support key areas of interests for them, just as they did for the ‘City Salute’ event in 2008 in aid of wounded Servicemen and women. Prince Harry, who has seen active service in Afghanistan, often meets old friends and acquaintances at these military engagements, where he is just as much a Prince as he is a fellow soldier. Both Princes also have a keen interest in development issues arising from today’s environmental challenges, illustrated in Prince Harry’s case by his Patronage of MapAction.
The Princes invite all their charities and associations to a gathering two or three times a year, where they hope to assist in promoting exchanges of ideas and joint initiatives to the benefit of all the members of what has become known as The Princes’ Charities Forum.
Every event that Prince Harry carries out takes a different shape, but The Prince always likes to prioritise meeting the beneficiaries of the charity in as informal a setting as possible, making sure that people feel at ease and enjoy the special occasion. The Prince takes an active role in putting together his engagements diary, which is fitted around his flying training.
As an example, in the Summer of 2010, Prince Harry visited the Canine Partners National Training Centre in Midhurst, West Sussex. The Prince toured the facility, met supporters and clients of the charity and viewed a demonstration of the specially trained animals which help disabled veterans regain their independence. Later in the day, Prince Harry attended the Royal British Legion’s ‘Friends of the Forces’ awards in London where he paid tribute to the British public for the "fundamental" support they provide to troops serving overseas. He also presented an award to two youngsters who raised more than £400 for injured servicemen and women.
In his spare time, The Prince enjoys socialising with friends, taking parts in outdoor activities such as sports and traditional country pursuits, and activities such as motorbiking.
Just like his brother, Prince Harry endeavours to combine his personal interests with casting a light on service, duty and excellence in the country, which is key part of his role as a member of the Royal Family.
