Prince Harry has arrived back in England after his slightly curtailed 10-week tour of duty in the killing fields of Afghanistan.

Prince Harry arriving at RAF Brize Norton 11.30 GMT Saturday

The Prince arrived at RAF Brize Norton mid-morning GMT together with 170 other soldiers returning from Afghanistan. He was greeted by his father the Prince of Wales, and brother Prince William.

We saw just a brief glimpse of William who carried Harry’s luggage roll and rucksack to the car before loading them into the boot. Harry said nothing and didn’t even look towards the assembled press pack.

Prince Charles gave a restrained and emotional statement to the broadcasters in the airbase terminal, showing how worried the entire Royal Family have been over Harry’s safety.

The three Princes then drove to Highgrove, where, it’s thought, Harry will begin a six-week period of leave and debriefing.

Although it’s Saturday night tonight, I doubt we’ll see the Princes on the town. My guess is that one of their friends will arrange a party at a London nightspot next week.

We may also see Harry at the Queen and Prince Philip’s delayed anniversary bash at The Ritz.

Updated 16.30 29 February

The British Ministry of Defence has just announced that Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from Afghanistan immediately, after his cover was blown yesterday by an influential website.

Prince Harry on foot patrol in Afghanistan

Reaction around the world has been very favourable to Harry’s deployment, in which he managed to serve for 10 of his 12 week term.

In an online poll on Sky News Australia, 78 percent said it was wrong for the Australiam women’s magazine, New Idea (locally known as No Idea) to have leaked Prince Harry’s deployment back in early January. New Idea’s website was flooded with readers expressing horror and calling for the resignation of its editor.

Readers called its journalists “guttersnipes”, “money-hungry idiots”, “morons” and “selfish parasites”, and that they were an embarrassment to Australians living abroad. Australians are nothing if not forthright in expressing their views.

Perhaps this now puts the current silence of Prince William and Kate Middleton into some sort of perspective. Royal Anecdotes believes both Kate and Chelsy have agreed not to be seen out partying while Harry is fighting in Afghanistan where 89 British soldiers have died in recent months.

One newspaper comments, “The Prince dismissed fears that he is a ‘bullet magnet’, swore he does not miss ‘anything’ [about his life in the UK], and said he believed his mother was proud of him. He made no reference to girlfriend Chelsy Davy.”

This could be to protect her from association with him. In an interview last week, Harry conceded that on his return to the UK, he could be a “top target” for homegrown jihadists sympathetic to the Taliban. “Once this comes out, every single person that supports them will be trying to slot me,” he said.

I don’t wish to stir this up, but maybe Chelsy should be given some protection too.

Update: The British Commander in Afghanistan has just said that Prince Harry flourished in the difficult environment of the country and served with distinction. I wonder if that means a “mention in dispatches” or even a Distinguished Service Medal?

The Press Association has reported that Prince Harry has been serving on the front line in Afghanistan for 10 weeks. The news was leaked by The Drudge Report and reluctantly confirmed by the Ministry of Defence.

It seems likely that Harry will be recalled, as he will now become the one and only target of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

The PA report states :

Prince Harry has been fighting the Taliban on the front line in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The 23-year-old Household Cavalry officer has spent the past 10 weeks secretly serving in war-ravaged Helmand Province.

The deployment had been cloaked in secrecy under a news blackout deal agreed across the UK media to prevent details reaching the Taliban and endangering Harry and his comrades.

But the arrangement has broken down after news was leaked out on the US website the Drudge Report.

As part of the deal a group of journalists had visited the Prince in Helmand on condition that details would only be publicised once he was safely back in the UK.

The deal was arranged after Harry’s planned tour to Iraq last year had to be cancelled because of a security risk sparked by publicity.

After the disappointment over Iraq, when Harry was due to work as a Scimitar light tank troop leader, he retrained as a battlefield air controller known as a JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) with a view to going to Afghanistan.

He flew out on December 14, two months into the current winter tour.

He spent several weeks working in Garmsir in the far south of Helmand Province, operating just 500m from front line Taliban positions. He has since left Garmsir to work in another part of Helmand Province, details of which can not be reported for security reasons.

There is no immediate steer from the Ministry of Defence on the future of his deployment.

Let us hope they move him to a place of safety. After 10 weeks, he deserves his medal.

Update: ITN’s Political Editor is suggesting that Harry’s deployment is now over. Everyone is amazed they managed to keep it quiet this long. He was due to stay until April, but will return home a hero having fought on the front line and controlled aircraft movements over various battlefields.

ITN has lengthy interviews with him on the ground. He seems fit, happy and glad to be there. The Queen and Prince Charles have said how proud they are of him, and Prince William has written to him saying how proud their mother would be at this moment.

It’s known that Prince William loves motorcycling at speed on his 175mph Honda Blackbird bike. His protection officers have expressed concerns over his daredevil riding on a number of occasions.

Prince William, daredevil on a motorcycle

Now we hear that Prince Harry, who is currently deep in Army duties, has suggested a 1000-mile ride down through Africa in the style of the Ewan McGregor TV series, Long Way Down.

The adventure is planned for later this year, assuming the Princes can get leave from their military careers. Since William is engaged in extensive flying and, later, naval courses, it’s hard to see how he could miss a large chunk and still benefit from them.

The Daily Mail quotes “a friend of the brothers” as saying yesterday: “William is a keen motorcyclist and he couldn’t turn down the invitation from Harry. The trip is currently being planned.”

The friend also claimed, “The regiment has granted them leave.”

Royal courtiers have apparently warned it would be “difficult” for them to get time off together because of their military commitments. So how do we take the claim that the leave has already been granted?

It’s believed that the the proposed trip is to be in aid of Harry’s charity Sentebale, which raises money for orphans in Lesotho.

I must say this story has about as much credence as the one that has Kate Middleton set to row down the Amazon River with The Sisterhood. I don’t believe that will happen, nor do I think this highly dangerous stunt will get off the ground.

Oh for some realistic stories about the Royal Princes and their girlfriends.