Prince Harry of Wales, whose full name is His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, was born in London, England and raised in various palaces around that country and royal tours abroad.
As a British royal, Prince Harry is literally required to be a member of the Church of England. In fact, after his father and his older brother, Prince William, Harry is third in line to hold the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England.[1] If Harry were to ever acquire this title, he would be required to appoint the church's high-ranking officers.[2]
While still rather rigid, the Anglican stranglehold on British royals has loosened a bit in recent years. In 2011, the ban on marrying Catholics was lifted after over 300 years in practice.[3]
Still, whether or not Harry is truly religious is debated and it is highly unlikely that Harry would ever say anything publicly to cause us to think he wasn't. But western society, England included, marches ever onward toward secularization and it is probable that Harry marches with it. As one journalist said of his brother:
For his part, William has expressed little concern about or commitment to either the Church of England or Christianity. Those close to the couple say they are, like their peers, quietly indifferent about religion.[4]
Make scarce with those politics there ginger boy
In another example of how truly constrained being a British royal really is, Prince Harry isn't allowed to participate in British politics. He can't make a political statement, endorse a candidate, vote, run for office, or anything else that would make it look like he was picking sides or taking up a political cause.
But for Harry, it's all about Mother England. Harry's a Captain in the British Armed Forces and an Apache helicopter pilot who served in Afghanistan.[5] He was going to serve on the front lines in Iraq until officials pulled the plug when they heard enemy forces had gotten wind of it and planned to specifically target him.[6]
Now, for his part as a valuable member of society, Harry volunteers for various charities and even spearheads a few of his own. He's been internationally recognized for his efforts as well. He was awarded the "Golden Heart" by a German official body for his work with children in Africa[7] and was given the Atlantic Council's Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership award for his work with wounded veterans.[8]
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