Prince Harry will be deployed in Iraq the head of the British army confirmed tonight, ending speculation about his military future.

General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, said that he had personally taken the decision to send the Prince to fight alongside the rest of his squadron.

The Blues and Royals, part of the Household Cavalry, will travel to Iraq next month, making Harry the first member of the royal family to operate in a combat zone since Prince Andrew flew helicopters during the Falklands conflict.

The Ministry of Defence admitted this week that the Prince’s deployment was under review after specific threats were made against him by insurgents operating in Iraq. Senior army officers had to consider whether the Prince’s presence would increase the threat to his colleagues.

Recent reports suggested that the Prince would quit the army if he was not allowed to go to war, though sources close to the Prince denied this.

The security situation in Iraq is at its worst since the fall of Baghdad. Twelve British troops have been killed in April, two of them died when a roadside bomb ripped through their Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle, similar to the one Prince Harry will command when he arrives in southern Iraq.

Gerneral Dannatt told Sky News: “I, as chief of the general staff, will take the decision and have taken the decision as to whether he should or should not deploy. And I do so as chief of the general staff and having full command of every member of the army including Prince Harry.

“Second, the decision has been taken he will deploy. Third, I will of course keep that decision continually under review and if circumstances are such that I change that decision, I will make a further statement.”

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