Prince William on his way to Sandhurst

[Worthers Original]

He toughed it out and got through the selection process so will now be joining his little brother at the Military Academy. I wonder if he'll be popping onto here for advice about pressups.

[flynn101]

Is it possible for a royal to fail the selection process!

[letsrole]

Pah no way would they fail! That Prince Andrew malarkey, he actually failed the POC or whatever it was back then because he wasn’t fit enough. Needless to say he got into the 1979 officers batch. They say they don’t give royalty special privileges, but as much as I’m sure the instructors may want to, they can’t just go shouting their heads of at a prince!

[Worthers Original]

Instead of

Sir, you look like a bag o' shite."

....it'll be

Your Highness, you look like a bag o' shite. Now get the f@#k off my drill square.

[flynn101]

I swear Harry didnt even academically qualify for a commision with his "dodgy art a-level" which should of been disqualified.

[flo]

According to the rumour mill he intends to join the RMP's. Somehow i cant see him down town in a meat wagon nickin some p*ssed up squaddies.

[Worthers Original]

Being a monkey's an odd choice.

[Doc]

well his dads one and he married a horse, maybe will's should go mounted troop?

[Worthers Original]

....though you'll be sent to the Tower.

I imagine it could be because he feels he'll have a less cossetted time with the Kidnaps as it's easier to do his job fully without having to avoid the frontline.

[Bliartheliar]

I swear Harry didnt even academically qualify for a commision with his "dodgy art a-level" which should of been disqualified.

And his feckin teacher done half it for him too! Ive never liked Harry, especialyl since he didnt want to go to Sandhurst in the first place!

Saw the pictures of William in the Sun today. Do all recruits on the RCB have to wear helmets for the obstacle course, or is this just a precaution for the royal? Im not a Royalist by any means, but Will seems like a sound lad unlike his "brother". Takes after his dad I suppose, who I also have respect for. Good luck to the lad.

[Sarastro]

Ive never liked Harry, especialyl since he didnt want to go to Sandhurst in the first place!

Though aside from the various nutjobs on this site (among whom I include myself), who does want to be shouted at by a lot of big hairy men, and shoved in mud while deprived of sleep, food and basic sanitation?

Think you might have to have a go at everyone else you know before the various HRH, who are at least enduring it whether they want to or not.

[Bliartheliar]

Ive never liked Harry, especialyl since he didnt want to go to Sandhurst in the first place!

Though aside from the various nutjobs on this site (among whom I include myself), who does want to be shouted at by a lot of big hairy men, and shoved in mud while deprived of sleep, food and basic sanitation?

Think you might have to have a go at everyone else you know before the various HRH, who are at least enduring it whether they want to or not.

Surely most people at Sandhurst want to be there? or at least chose to go! Harry made it clear that he personally did not want to go.

[Sarastro]

Yes, obviously most at Sandhurst want to be there and chose to be there. Your point being?

Harry really doesn't have a choice in the matter, it is de facto required for possible future monarchs to have served, or they can have no authority when, if war is declared, British troops are being deployed in their name. Or so the reasoning goes.

Besides, what about the fact that Harry or William are putting a sense of duty over their own self-interest, and doing 3 hard years whether they like it or not, makes you either a) think less of them compared to if they were doing it and wanted to be there, or b) think that is incompatible with service life? Just because they didn't choose to go there, doesn't automatically mean they won't be good officers or slack in their duties.

Like I said, you might as well chew out everyone you know at e.g. university who doesn't want to be in the Army and isn't at Sandhurst, before you start on those who don't want to in but are doing it nonetheless.

[Bliartheliar]

So the fact that he is a Royal means that he has to go to sandhurst, and therefore you have to resecpt him for that if he chose it himself or not? Fair enough, the lad is there and hes getting on with it. But the fact of the matter is that he was pressured into joining and didnt make that discission of his own free regard. I truly believe that the fact that he is a royal means that he wasnt going to get rejected - although he may quite rightfully deserve to be there and may infact be a good officer. But as far as im concerned, the chances are that another applicant somewhere has been denied the opportunity to go to Sandhurst to make room for Harry.

Good luck to the lad. But im not prepared to simply give him additional respect for being a member of one particular family. I dont want to turn this into an anti-royalist debate, but the quicker we turn into a republic the better instead of hanging onto the past. That does not mean that I hold any disrespect for members of the family themselves - I have huge respect for Charles as a person and indeed for both Will and Harry for what they have been through. Its the concept of Monarchism that I am againt.