As an ex-pat American resident of the U.K. whose son and only child is stationed with the U.S. Marines in Fallujah, I can't help but wonder how Diana, the Princess of Wales would have felt about this week's announcement of Prince Harry's intention to go off to war in Iraq with his squadron, a unit of the U.K.'s Household Cavalry Regiment.
In the cold light of day, the fact that Harry is the spare to the heir somewhat mitigates the sacrificial potential of his deployment. He's also following in the tradition of other royals, including his uncle Andrew and grandfather Phillip, who served in the military before settling into their ceremonial duties.
Nevertheless, my feeling is that no mother ever wants to see her son go off to war, whether she has one child or 10, and I suspect that would've included Diana. I'm not a fan of the royals, but one need not have read any of Diana's biographies to believe that she loved her sons as much as life itself.
Read More