At a ceremony at Combermere Barracks in Windsor this morning, the Princess Royal presented Afghanistan campaign medals to her nephew, Prince Harry, and 169 other members of the Household Cavalry.

Harry’s longtime girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, sat with senior members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles, to witness the ceremony. Princess Anne was there in her capacity as Colonel of the Blues and Royals regiment.

Chelsy chatted happily with Prince William in the front row. She also attended a polo match in which William and Harry played for the Um Bongo team. On that occasion she sat next to Kate Middleton.

It seems that both Princes are now happy to parade their amours in public, suggesting a new level of commitment for the future.

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.

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.

Prince William has a busy year scheduled for 2008. Royal officials say his priority is to develop his military career in all three branches of the Armed Forces.

In January he will leave the Household Cavalry after two years service, for an extended spell with the RAF. He will spend several months learning to fly fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, a long-held boyhood dream.

Then, following a summer break, the Prince will spend the rest of the year with the Royal Navy, becoming the first modern Royal to serve in all three branches of the military.

A senior Royal aide said, “Effectively, Prince William will spend half the year with the RAF and then the second half with the Royal Navy. … William is particularly excited by the prospect of learning to fly and learning how the RAF do their job. By the end of next year, he will have a more thorough grounding in the three services than any other previous Royal.”

Another commented, “There had been some thought that he might be seconded as an Army officer and continue to wear his Army uniform. But now it has been decided he will be commissioned into the RAF and serve in RAF uniform with the rank of Flying Officer. Then he will be commissioned into the Royal Navy and wear the Royal Navy uniform while he serves as a lieutenant. He will continue to draw his Army salary during this time.”

Prince William’s military career will end in December 2008 or January 2009. He intends to gain some work experience in government before becoming a working member of the Royal Family.

He will also continue his role in seven charities, and in Royal events like Trooping the Colour and the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph. He will keep his links with underprivileged children as Patron of Centrepoint, the charity for young homeless people, and for his father’s biggest charity, the Prince’s Trust.

A source is quoted as saying, “It would be wrong to assume that, overnight, he will suddenly start doing 500 engagements a year like his father, but his duties will gradually escalate”.

A busy year ahead then with not much room to manouevre romantically.

We shall see.