HOWZAT

"Whilst it had been intended that Prince Harry should return in a matter of weeks with the remainder of the Household Cavalry Regiment Battlegroup, the situation has now clearly changed," the statement said.

"Following a detailed assessment of the risks by the operational chain of command, the decision has been taken by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, in consultation with General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, to withdraw Prince Harry from Afghanistan immediately.

"This decision has been taken primarily on the basis that the worldwide media coverage of Prince Harry in Afghanistan could impact on the security of those who are deployed there, as well as the risks to him as an individual soldier."

It was General Dannatt who last year faced the task of announcing a U-turn on plans to deploy the Prince – a Cornet or Second Lieutenant in the Blues and Royals – to Iraq.

Intelligence picked up a series of specific threats to Harry and his comrades in Iraq after details of his planned deployment were announced and received widespread publicity.

It is feared that the revelation that the third in line to the throne has been fighting in Helmand would increase the tempo of attacks on British forces by the Taleban. For security reasons, details on the Prince's whereabouts and itinerary are being kept secret.

A senior Army officer, Brigadier Patrick Marriott, said today that Harry's next movements would be part of a "well worked-out plan."

"It’s always been considered it could break," General Marriott told GMTV.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown joined in the tributes to the Prince, whom he described as an exemplary young officer. "The whole of Britain will be proud of the outstanding service he is giving," the Prime Minister said.

Harry is the first royal to serve in a combat zone since his uncle Prince Andrew flew helicopters during Britain’s war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982. Few either in the MoD or the press had expected his deployment to remain secret as long as it did.

Harry conceded in an interview filmed last week that when he returns to Britain he could be a "top target" for Islamic terrorists. "Once this ... comes out, every single person that supports them will be trying to slot me," he said.

During his foreshortened tour Harry enjoyed a level of anonymity he has never experienced as a member of the Royal Family. In one pooled media interview he commented: "I think this is about as normal as I’m ever going to get."

During a posting to Garmsir, the southernmost part of Helmand under allied control, the Prince was able to go on patrol and mix with locals who had no idea of his royal status.

His work as a Forward Air Controller – more commonly known as JTAC or Joint Terminal Attack Controller – involved carrying out detailed aerial surveillance behind Taliban lines and even calling in bomb strikes on confirmed enemy bunker positions.

Harry has said that he considered leaving the Army last spring after the cancellation of his Iraq tour. Just last week, he spoke of his frustration with the media spotlight in the UK and his preference for the frontline compared to being in barracks at Windsor.

"I don’t want to sit around in Windsor," he said. "But I generally don’t like England that much and, you know, it’s nice to be away from all the press and the papers and all the general s***e that they write."

He also expressed hopes of being able to return to Afghanistan as early as this summer - although that possibility is now likely to be in doubt.

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