Reply #90: Harry, like his great-grandfather, his great-great-grandfather and so on have been career British

[nealmhughes]

military officers. Prince Phillip's grandfather, Prince Louis of Battenberg (later Louis Mountbatten, Lord Milford Haven) was born a German prince, but became a British subject and was "demoted" to a mere Marquess upon the Derivation of Titles Act). His son Louis Mountbatten was a career naval officer as well, and a bona fide war hero and later presided over the independence of India and Pakistan. His nephew was Prince Phillip, Harry's grandfather and a naval officer until he married Elizabeth.
On Harry's other sides of the family, both the Spencers and the Bowes-Lyons as well as the various "Windsor/Saxe-Coburg-Gotha" princes, dukes, lords and muckity mucks nearly all served at one point of their lives, many as career officers.
His uncle Andrew is a retired career naval helicopter officer.
It isn't really remarkable at all for the British upper classes to be career military men.
Evidently from a short interview I saw he said it made him grow up and see what a priviledged upbringing he had had.
I had an XO on the submarine I served on who was a Frick and a division officer who was an heir to the Gillette forutune: both were career navy and made no fancy pretenses about their relatives' wealth at all, in fact, I am given to believe that they actually used the common officers' heads. . .