Prince Harry will serve in Iraq
Prince Harry's regiment will be deployed to Iraq, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Clarence House have confirmed in a joint statement.
His Blues and Royals regiment will serve in Iraq for six months as part of the latest deployments.
The prince will be the first senior royal to serve on the front line since Prince Andrew in the Falklands in 1982.
While in Iraq, the prince will carry out "a normal troop commander's role", the statement said.
This will involve "leading a troop of 12 men in four Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles, each with a crew of three" from the regiment's "A squadron", the statement added.
"The decision to deploy him has been a military one, made by Chief of General Staff, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, in conjunction with Cornet Wales' commanding officer," it said.
"The Royal household has been consulted throughout."
Further details of exactly where Harry would serve, or his specific role, would not be released because such a move would be "potentially dangerous", the statement added.
A Blues and Royals source said Harry, who has long expressed his determination to see front-line action, was "over the moon" at the deployment.
Last year, the prince said: "There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country."
Sandhurst graduation
In a written statement to MPs, Defence Secretary Des Browne said two squadrons from Harry's Household Cavalry Regiment would be deployed with the rotation of troops to take place in May and June.
The lead formation of British troops, currently 19 Light Brigade, would be replaced by 1 Mechanised Brigade, supported by Prince's Harry's regiment, the statement added.
Prince Harry graduated from Sandhurst in April last year and qualified as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader in October.
His rank of Cornet is used by a small number of cavalry units including the Blues and Royals and is the equivalent of the more usual rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
Known to colleagues as Troop Commander Wales, he is able to lead reconnaissance units known as the Army's "eyes and ears".
Confirmation of the deployment comes after Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs that 1,600 British troops would return from Iraq within the next few months.
He said the 7,100 serving troops in the south of Iraq around Basra would be cut to 5,500 soon, with hopes that 500 more will leave by late summer.
Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle, was a helicopter pilot in the Falklands conflict.
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