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About Face

Loose lips sank Prince Harry's secret mission in Afghanistan. A look at the mission, and his life

Britain's Prince Harry couldn't serve publicly in Iraq, so he decided to serve secretly in Afghanistan. After his cover was blown on the Web on Feb. 28, he was immediately called home; he'd served ten weeks of his deployment. The 23-year-old Cavalry Officer became the first royal sent to a war zone since his uncle Prince Andrew flew as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands war against Argentina. Back in May 2007, after threats to the prince's safety, Harry's regiment shipped off to Iraq without him. This time around, his mission was kept mum, even by the press. But the Internet leak scrapped plans for him to complete a 14-week tour. The young prince, with his athletic good looks and hard-partying lifestyle, has been a tabloid presence. But he's also made headlines for his insistence that he serve in the armed forces. Some scenes from the prince's life. Photo: John Stillwell / AP-pool