In honor of Diana

As it does for all young people in the military, the war in Iraq looms large for Prince William and Prince Harry, who are both officers in the British army. Last spring a close friend of William's from Sandhurst Military Academy was killed in the line of duty.

Prince William: It brings it all to reality, you know, how much these guys and girls out there are facing and how much they're put in harm's way.

At the time of the interview, Harry believed he was going into harm's way himself, on the verge of shipping out to Iraq with his army regiment.

Prince Harry: The closer it gets, the more I sort of think about it.  And you know, it's so hard to talk about it.  There's a lot that I can think about in my head that I can't actually sort of express.  You know, William and I have sat down and had, you know, a little bit of time to talk about it.  And I still sort of need to sit down and talk to my father about it because it's very difficult.

Harry has been in uniform, it seems, since he was a little boy. He says he loves the army and, like the rest of his life, his military training has been duly chronicled. Now, at age 22, Harry is a Second Lieutenant.  He's trained to lead a group of soldiers in armored reconnaissance vehicles, which have been prime targets for roadside bomb attacks in Iraq. His determination to fight was the subject of enormous controversy in England. 

Prince Harry: I've been, you know, nicknamed the "bullet magnet" already. 

He was such a high-value target. Jihadist websites were literally calling for his head. Many people believed Harry's presence would have presented too much of a risk to his own men, a fact that William, who is also in the army, acknowledged.

Matt Lauer: Do you worry?
Prince William: Yeah, I worry.
Prince Harry: He's not bothered at all.
Prince William: Good to get him out of the house, you know, and get away from us.  But at the same time, of course I worry. But I've got full confidence in what he does.  You know, he knows what he's doing, and he's very good at what his job is.  And also I've got full confidence that, you know, that if things do get out of hand that, you know, measures will be taken to make sure that no one else is hurt.
Matt Lauer: So if the military decided, you know what, it's too risky to you and the others and I'm not going to send you to Iraq, would you be disappointed?
Prince Harry: I would be disappointed, but I mean, I think I can safely say that my guys would be disappointed. All that training that you've done as a group, you know each other, how each other works.  You know when someone's grumpy without having to ask them. Just with, you know, there's that bond.
Matt Lauer: So it would break up this cohesive group at exactly the wrong time.
Prince Harry: At exactly the wrong time. But at the same time, I can completely understand because the last thing I want is to feel myself I'm responsible for someone else being injured in any way at all.

Three weeks after our interview, the Ministry of Defense decided the risk was just too great. Harry will not deploy to Iraq, although there's speculation he might be sent to Afghanistan. If any war zone proves too risky for Harry, you can be sure that 24-year-old William, the future king, won't be going either. It's a fact William seems reluctant to accept.

Prince William: Well, I don't know that yet. Because, otherwise, what's the point of me doing all my training and being there for my guys when I can turn around to somebody and say, "Well, I'm far too important.  I'm not going."

Their royal pedigree directs every aspect of their lives. But what if it didn't?

Matt Lauer: If your last name weren't "Windsor," if it were "Smith" or "Jones," and you didn't have the duties that you were born into, what would you want to do professionally?
Prince Harry: All sorts of things.
Matt Lauer: Like what?
Prince William: Well, when I was younger, I wanted to be a policeman.  And I wouldn't want to be that now.
Matt Lauer: The most popular cop on the block.
Prince William: Yeah, exactly.
Matt Lauer: What would you want to do?
Prince Harry: I think it's…
Prince William: I don't know.  It's a really tricky question.  It goes through my head lots. I'd like to fly helicopters, definitely.  I'd like to be some sort of heli [helicopter] pilot, you know, working for the UN maybe or something like that.  Go off and do some, you know, I'd have to be doing something active, outside and doing sort of fun stuff but with an edge to helping people.
Matt Lauer: What about you, Harry?
Prince William: He'd probably sit and play computer games and drink beer.
Prince Harry: Oh, thanks a lot.  No, I don't know how well this would get on, but I'd probably live in Africa. 

Why Africa? Harry's girlfriend Chelsy is from Zimbabwe, where her father operated a safari company. Harry has started a charity to benefit AIDS orphans in the southern African nation of Lesotho.

Prince Harry: I'd like to spend all my time out there.
Matt Lauer: In a humanitarian aspect?
Prince Harry: Both; it would be a humanitarian aspect and as well as a sort of a safari aspect.  As a job it would probably be a safari guide.  And then…
Prince William: It would be really good for me because he wouldn't be around, you see?  So I'd get the whole house to myself.
Prince Harry: And at the same time, you know, spending my time between a charity, you know, in Lesotho, probably in Lesotho as well.  If, you know, if I became normal tomorrow, then I'd help Lesotho.
Matt Lauer: That word "normal" comes up a lot, doesn't it?
Prince Harry: Yeah.
Matt Lauer: It really is.  It's kind of the Holy Grail out there.
Prince Harry: I feel abnormal.
Matt Lauer: And you've been to the United States.  You spent a little time in Tennessee.  You mentioned Disney World.  What are your impressions of the US?
Prince Harry: Horrible.
Prince William: Oh, my god, no.
Matt Lauer: You know that's the headline.
Prince William: Yeah, exactly.
Matt Lauer: "Harry Calls U.S. 'Horrible.'"
Prince Harry: No, I think it's such an amazing place.  It's so vast and on such a massive scale and there's so much to do, and it's so different.
Prince William: I love America.  I think it's brilliant.  I have a really good time when I'm over there.  Everyone's really friendly, welcoming. They’re very good at sort of not being too invasive. It'd be nice to get back to America sometime soon.
Matt Lauer: We've talked a lot about the weight of your responsibilities and your role in this society.  What's the coolest thing about being a prince?
Prince Harry: It's…
Prince William: Yeah, it's a difficult question there.
Matt Lauer: You're struggling, huh?
Prince Harry: Yeah.
Prince William: Yeah.  No, I think we're very lucky. You know, we have lots of things that we are very fortunate to have. You know, we have a house, you know?  We have, you know, all these sort of nice things around us.  And so, you know, we're grateful for that because so many people don't have that.
Prince Harry: Yeah.  We've had a good education.  Doesn't show, but we have, and we are very privileged, you know, in many ways, and we're very lucky.  And we're very grateful for that. 

It sounds odd to hear two young princes to say they're grateful to have a roof over their heads, but perhaps it reflects their awareness of those less fortunate. This is something they say they got at an early age from their mother Diana, the people's princess.                

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