Bets taken on Harry surviving Army
LONDON, England -- Prince Harry began his new life in the British Army Monday at the elite Sandhurst military academy, and bookmakers were already taking bets on whether he would complete the tough course.
Officer Cadet Wales, as he will be known at Sandhurst, will be out of bed at dawn every day, ready for an early morning parade on the drill square where he will spend hours marching during the next 44 weeks.
British bookmaker William Hill is already offering 3-1 odds that Harry will quit before his training is over -- like his uncle Prince Edward did with the Marines in 1987.
The odds are 4-5 that Harry will complete the course -- and 25-1 that he will be named the best cadet in the class, a William Hill spokesman said.
Harry, third in line to the throne, arrived at prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Surrey, west of London, on Sunday with his father, Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Harry pledged to do the best he could as he started his experiences as a career soldier.
"I am really excited. I want to get on with it and do the best job I can do," he said in a statement issued by his father's office, Clarence House.
In a smart dark gray suit and sporting freshly cropped hair, Harry met Commandant Maj. Gen. Andrew Ritchie on the steps of the grand old college building after arriving.
He was also introduced to tough-talking Sgt. Maj. Vince Gaunt, who keeps the new cadets in check.
After enrolling and picking up the keys to his modest room -- furnished with a single bed, sink and wardrobe -- Harry emerged from the building wearing a new red name badge with just the word "Wales" printed in white capital letters.
A spokesman for Clarence House said Harry had been told he would be treated the same as any other cadet.
The first five weeks of the course are notoriously tough, with cadets up at dawn, forbidden from wearing civilian clothes and unable to leave the site -- even at weekends.
As part of Sandhurst's strict regime, he will endure intense physical training and carry out endless domestic chores, from relentless ironing of uniforms to the polishing of his sturdy black Army issue boots.
The change will be in marked contrast to the time Harry has recently enjoyed since he left high school two years ago.
He has been dogged by controversy, from a bust-up with a paparazzi photographer to a Nazi fancy dress gaffe.
The 20-year-old prince will be trained as an officer cadet and will be eligible for active service after the course finishes.
The prince was one of 270 recruits joining Sandhurst Sunday for the officer training course.
Recruits were seen trudging to their quarters carrying their kit on their backs and brand new ironing boards under their arms.
Charles gave his son a playful punch to the arm before driving off to leave him to start his life as a career soldier.
Commandant Ritchie said he usually offered a little advice to parents such as Charles who drop their children off at the site.
"I tell them the training will be tough and to be ready for the odd anguished phone call," he told UK's Press Association.
When asked whether Harry had what it takes to become an officer, Ritchie said: "Of course he has. Every cadet has passed the selection process. Everyone has got it in them."
Harry continues the royal family's long tradition of military service.
Queen Elizabeth II is head of the three armed services, and her husband, Prince Philip, enjoyed a long career in the Royal Navy.
Charles trained as a pilot with the Royal Air Force before going on to join the Navy, where he commanded a minesweeper before leaving the service in 1976.
One of Harry's uncles, Prince Andrew, spent 22 years in the Navy and served as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands war against Argentina.
Another uncle, Prince Edward, spent three years in the Royal Marines but dropped out in mid-training.
