By Thomas Pfaffe Sep 13, 2009, 2:08 GMT
London - His wild years are not so far behind him, but Britain's Prince Harry seems ready to distance himself from those days as he prepares for his 25th birthday on Tuesday.
There is the story about the time he wore a Nazi outfit to a costume ball. There are also countless stories about drinking binges and womanizing. Indeed, there were many times in his younger days where the prince who is third in line to the throne acted anything but royal.
It is reported that, at times, Queen Elizabeth II had to learn the latest scandal about her favourite grandson from the tabloids and that she and her entourage had to ask themselves if Harry might have benefited from the maternal counseling he didn't get when his mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car crash.
But times have changed. Harry has gone into the army, served on the Afghan frontline and grown quieter. The Bristish media have celebrated him as a national hero while the royal court has looked on approvingly as the party prince transforms into a young man about to turn 25.
Indeed, when Harry celebrates his birthday, there is every chance he might look back on his wilder days, shaking his head in disbelief.
The British love Harry. He doesn't have the same good looks that his older brother, William, 27, inherited from their mother. Nonetheless, the redheaded prince can take satisfaction that a recent national survey dubbed him the 'coolest royal.'
Additionally, Harry's drawing power among women has only increased, especially since he is a bachelor again, after splitting from girlfriend of five years, Chelsy Davy, 23, in January.
The breakup stemmed in part from Davy's unwillingness to continue a long-distance relationship while Harry finished his military duties. That aside, British media have recently reported that the two have been talking by telephone again and meeting secretly to see if there's a chance to revive their relationship.
But Harry's main focus these days seems to be on his military career and his training to be a helicopter pilot. He has already undergone intensive training, including simulated emergencies.
The coming months will bring training in night flights, other kinds of emergencies and operations during inclement weather. If all goes well, Harry will complete his flight training in March, following in the footsteps of his father, brother, and uncle, Prince Andrew.
Once that is completed, Harry should have more time for a girlfriend. Besides just being available, his considerable wealth should turn out to be quite attractive.
While he only earns about 30,000 pounds (50,000 dollars) a year for his time as a soldier, he is set to become a good deal richer on Tuesday, when he is set to inherit a portion of his 6.5- million- pound share of his mother's estate.
Diana's will stipulated that each of her sons would receive that sum, gaining access to a part of it on their 25th birthday and to the full amount upon turning 30.
Along with regular charity work, Harry could continue his work for the military once his pilot training is complete. Unlike his brother, he does not have to focus exclusively on preparing to take the British throne.
When Elizabeth, 83, passes, the boys' father, Prince Charles, 60, is set to serve as king. William is next in line after Charles.
As much as he might like to return to the Afghan frontline, the odds of such an eventuality are slim. The number of British soldiers who have died in the Afghan conflict recently rose to over 200, with an increasingly high death rate in recent months.
Harry's last Afghan assignment was abruptly ended in 2008 when news of his secret deployment was leaked. At that time, British officials reasoned that the capture or death of a member of the royal family in a military campaign would be too strong a blow to military and civilian morale.
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