"one of the others who came in his underpants, very discrete"

Too much detail
But what did you do to him for that to happen?

"I'll withdraw to the poolside bar, along with my simliarly genitally-covered friends"
Is that something to do with being an bunch of old todgers?

Bloody hell .. the puritanical crap and hypocrisy from a few people on this thread is incredible.

The lad was letting off steam and had a reasonable expectation of privacy without people reporting on what he was doing in his hotel room.

I'm so glad that certain people who claim to have been in the Air Force have never committed or been involved in arson (e.g. piano burning), cruelty to animals (piggy in the [Coningsby?] mess), vandalism (destruction of cars, both private and service, hangars, equipment assorted and goodness knows what else), offences against the firearms act (e.g. mess cannons, exploding tables, flower arrangements, doors and more at Dining-in nights) Blatant sexism (I recall a rather nice selection of ladies undies on the ceiling of the Binbrook bar ;))

etc etc etc.

Many of which I might add were generally regarded as 'high spirits' when done by officers but 'wanton hooliganism' when done by ORs.

It's a bloody good job there were no camera phones around a few years ago eh?

I'm sure it wouldn't been. Even back then.

And regardless of how discreet you thought you were being, all it would have taken was one mercenary bitch with a hidden camera phone for us all to have known what a pretty sight it wasn't :ugh:

I see it very simply, there are three ways of looking at this.
1. It's a non story leave the lad alone but tighten up your your security please Sir.
2. Your a boring **** who never went to a decent party cos you were'nt invited.
3. Your a hypocrite with nothing better to do than jump on someone who is having fun, oh and probably jealous.

Some of you are 2 & 3, I of course am # 1.

The ironic thing is this probably makes him a better officer in the eyes of his men.
Despite being third in line to the thrown and having everything, he has shown himself to be just like them, volunteering for thr front line, getting lashed up and chasing women.
They no longer see him as some silver spoon in his mouth toff whom they must follow, but as an effective officer who like any youngster likes to let his hair down.
What would you prefer?
In the Air Forces "finest hour" do you suppose the Officers and men went back to barracks of an evening for a quiet cup of cocoa? Sometimes yes, other times they went out and got smashed, chased ladiesand dare I say it got naked occasionally (if only the public school ones).

Very much a storm in some boring fuddy duddies ovaltine cup!

"third in line to the thrown"

Is that some new kind of pub game? A bit like dwarf tossing, or chucking penguins?

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the antics involved when going through the routine of singing 'Zulu Warrior', 'This Old Shirt Of Mine' and 'Dance of the Flaming A**holes'. Performed in many a rugby club and bars, various, by a host of military personnel, commisioned and non-commisioned alike!

If, just if, no pics had been taken but Harry's party antics had been leaked as a bit of a rumour ie no actual evidence but it was reckoned to be true, would there still have been the same censuring outcry by those offended by his behaviour?
OK he still did it but it seems it's only the visual evidence, over which he had no control, that has, in my opinion, inflamed some extremely harsh judgements against him. Well on this forum anyway.

The problem isn't (to servicemen both current and ex), what he did, as we all know what goes on and what happens to let off steam etc... it's the fact it's splashed about the media showing him doing it... Something that comes across to those that haven't served or are serving as a playboy image and not in keeping either the perceived image of an officer " and a Gentleman" and maybe unacceptable to see in a future possible Monarch. We are not talking the way the younger generation may see it, but the later.

It's like Donald Trump coming out with the fact he has a giant comb over, we all know that but no one expects him to show it.

Jayand I am a No 1 too.

So not all of us are old codgers with no imagination. Jindabyne was on the course ahead of me on BFT and he is entitled to his opinion just as you and I are to ours. We do not have to agree.

Whatever we think regrettably the whole thing will be decided by stuffy palace advisers and Army senior officers.

My final thought is that some on this forum have admitted to carrying things in their aircraft they shouldn't have so acting in an un-officer like manner yet they did not resign their commisions but are baying for Prince Harry to do so for his indiscretions. Double standards?

ACW

Throne, thrown, ooops I blame Stella artois (other lagers are available).
Anyone heard the story of a herc crew flying part of a sortie entirely naked?
Board of enquiry would have been interesting if the worst had happened.

I'm with Tourist. Beagle - you're wrong I'm afraid on this one (rare).


WWW

Stopping here for several people...
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...outragebus.jpg

Prince Harry faces 'dressing down' from commanding officer - Telegraph

Perhaps the ramifications of the prince's behaviour will lead to a more general review of the standards to be expected from those who hold the Queen's Commission.

From what one reads in some of the posts on this thread, such a review of personal behavioural standards appears to be long overdue.

Beagle

Agreed. But perhaps other UK Apache pilots who spent their leave in multi-$k per night Las Vegas suites paid for by Mr Wynn could offer an opinion. :oh:

I once got naked with 2 female civil servants, in a sauna, not in Vegas and sadly neither of them had a camera so I can't prove it happened..... but it did. For some reason I didn't lose my commission either.

Rgds SOS

Snap!
 

Two things I have in common with Prince Harry Sandbags at 19 and getting a good telling off from Peter Wall in my mid twenties.

Is it not the natural order of things? A donation of salary or a months extras will see him toeing the line - and in 15 years time he will probably be on the other side of the desk 'adjusting' the behaviour of some boistrous subaltern.

There is a moral argument here I think - I can imagine these photographs perhaps being a recruiting sergeant for those with a hatred of the decadent West - far more than any upset from the Mary Whitehouse brigade.

However, it does need to be tempered with a dose of contempory realism (and even historical realism having just read the accounts of drunken spitfire pilots taking off to face the Luftwaffe in the Summer of 1940 - are we accusing those men of having deficient moral courage or un-officer like behaviour? (I know not all were commissioned!)).

I Like ARSSE (The Army Rumour Site)
 

I haven't seen the pictures of Harry (and don't intend to search for them) but what I'm reading on this forum makes me feel a little sad (yes I am a little tipsy). There is clearly a generational disparity at work. I personally couldn't care less what he does in his spare time and, if I'm honest, think he does pretty bloody well given his circumstances. BEagle et al often speak a lot of sense but sadly appear out of touch with life in the current Armed Forces (and life as a youngster). You can say what you like about his responsibilities as an heir to the throne but, as an officer, he's not doing too much wrong. He has proven himself operationally and is clearly enjoying life. Just because some fool posts his personal life online he should not be held any more accountable than any other officer that finds himself in a similar circumstance.
As for being heir to the throne, that's his business and once again I think he is actually a good ambassador for a modern Royal Family.
One last thing, I know people think it's funny to suggest his Father is not of Royal lineage but, apart from being bloody rude, have you not noticed the facial likeness between him and Prince Charles? His hair colour is not exactly proof otherwise.
BV

Spot on Bob, Harry couldn't be more like Charles if he tried.
If Harry's sexual moral compass is slightly skewed (it's not) then I blame his mother, she hardly set a great example did she? And she was meant to be a lady.

There is talk of being docked half a month's pay. For some that would be significant, for others it would hardly be noticed. If some restriction be needed, how about some arduous leadership somewhere, say at Paramali looking after homebound troops - but dry.