Why Did Prince Harry Quit The British Army? Kensington Palace Confirms Departure

It’s time to move on. Prince Harry will quit the British Army at the end of the year, Reuters reported. Rumors swirled for weeks that the prince was thinking about leaving the service. He confirmed his departure in a statement released through Kensington Palace Monday.

The prince, who is known as Capt. Harry Wales in the army, said he learned the “hard way,” performing “challenging jobs.” During his 10 years of service, Harry completed two tours in Afghanistan. Now, however, the 30-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth II is at a “crossroads.”

"After a decade of service, moving on from the army has been a really tough decision," he said, according to People magazine. "I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the chance to do some very challenging jobs and have met many fantastic people in the process. "From learning the hard way to stay onside with my color sergeant at Sandhurst [military academy], to the incredible people I served with during two tours in Afghanistan -- the experiences I have had over the last 10 years will stay with me for the rest of my life. Inevitably most good things come to an end and I am at a crossroads in my military career."

Harry had a reputation as the rebel of the royal bunch, but his public persona improved once he joined the armed forces, Reuters said. When his time with the army is finished, he will work with conservation groups in Africa, just like big brother William. While on the job hunt, he will do volunteer work with injured servicemen.

'The prince has had a fulfilling military career and considers it a huge honor to have served his country in the armed forces, during which time he has undertaken two operational tours of duty in Afghanistan, qualified as an Apache aircraft commander and spearheaded the Invictus Games,” Kensington Palace said in a statement, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

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