The remembered Queen made a clear request to the head of the British Army.
Elizabeth II will always be remembered as the longest-lived queen the United Kingdom had, but also for certain controversies that made her and her family the protagonists of world gossip. Now, seven months after her death, they have revealed a cruel wish that the monarch had for princes William and Harry.
The queen, pointed out on several occasions for her harshness when making decisions involving members of the Royal Family, wanted Lady Di's sons to fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan when the war broke out in 2001, before deciding that it was too risky to send the future heir to the throne, a former army chief has revealed.
This delicate information was known through General Sir Mike Jackson, then head of the British Army, who recounted these details in the ITVX documentary entitled The Real Crown. According to him, the decision on whether or not the princes should participate in the conflict was discussed in a private meeting, in which only he and the late Elizabeth II participated.
Elizabeth II's order for William and Harry to go to Afghanistan
In the documentary, the former head of the Army was aware that he was breaking protocol by disseminating information that was going to generate great repercussions. "What happens in those hearings and who says what is left to the two people involved, and I'm going to break the rule of not divulging what happens only this time," he explained.
The Royal Crown reveals that the Queen had given the decision to send her grandsons to war a lot of thought, as she had detailed information about the risks faced by British armed personnel in Afghanistan."Of course she has full access to everything. He has full access to an exceptional amount of information and knowledge for longer than anyone else," he added, later clarifying: "William really wanted to go."
After serious debate, it was concluded to look after Prince William, given his important place within the British Crown. "It was decided that the risk was too great for William, being the heir to the heir. But for his younger sister, the risk was deemed acceptable," Sir Mike said.
"It was very clear," remarked Jackson, who has recalled the exact words that Elizabeth II told him: "My grandchildren have lived on my money and therefore now they must do their duty." It was then that the decision was made that today's Prince of Wales should not take such a high risk, even though his brother Harry did have to. Let's remember that Meghan Markle's husband served in the army for 10 years, and came to kill 25 Taliban during a trip to Afghanistan.
