Prince Harry joins the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals)

Prince Harry will join the Household Cavalry, with the aim of becoming an Armoured Reconnaissance Troop Leader at the forefront of British Army operations, if he successfully completes his Officer Cadet training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

On being commissioned as an officer at Sandhurst in April, Harry would join the Blues and Royals regiment within the Household Cavalry, as a Second Lieutenant.

He would then undergo a period of specialist training with the aim of becoming a Troop Leader in the Royal Armoured Corps. As Troop Leader, Harry would lead a team of around a dozen soldiers carrying out reconnaissance work in a wide variety of operational settings.

Like all cadets at Sandhurst, Harry has considered a number of regiments before applying to join the Household Cavalry. He based his decision on the variety of roles which the regiment undertakes, including reconnaissance support to airborne forces right through to ceremonial duties. The Prince was also attracted by the regiment’s outstanding operational record in recent decades, most notably during the Falklands Conflict and the Gulf War, in Bosnia and Kosovo, in Iraq and in Northern Ireland.

Although Harry would initially train for and concentrate on operational duties, as a member of the Household Cavalry he would be able to volunteer for, or be posted to, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London. This regiment has a long history of ceremonial duty, providing Her Majesty The Queen’s daily Life Guard and the Sovereign’s escort on State occasions. However, as an officer, Prince Harry would not perform sentry duties in this capacity.