Prince William to fight cocaine smugglers

Jun 1 2008 By Euan Hamilton

PRINCE William is to sail into battle against Caribbean cocaine smugglers, it was announced yesterday.

He will join Navy frigate HMS Iron Duke during a two-month training programme which starts tomorrow.

British sailors have seized tons of drugs in a series of massive busts in the North Atlantic in recent years - and William, 25, will be fully involved in his crew's operations.

Rear Admiral Robert Cooling, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, said the prince would find his time on board rigorous and challenging.

He said: "He will need to be able to pull his weight in an emergency. Ifwe treated him like some super VIP and tailored a programme for him and walked around on eggshells, that would be difficult.

"But he's going to do all the things young officers do. If it's an entirely permissive boarding and we're searching for drugs, then by all means, no difficulties there."

William, 25, who is preparing for his future role as head of the armed forces, could also find himself providing humanitarian relief if a hurricane strikes the region.

Officers decided he could learn more in a short time by serving on the Iron Duke than by being sent to the Persian Gulf, where the Royal Navy are engaged in a number of operations.

The assignment will include shoreside training in Portsmouth before a fiveweek stint at sea.

William - an officer in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals - can't wait to start his new life at sea.

Commander William Entwisle said: "I went to visit him about three weeks ago and he's enormously looking forward to the attachment."

Rear Admiral Cooling added: "I'm fairly confident he will do just fine. There's nothing to be shy about if you get seasick, the best of us did - Nelson got seasick."

William and his younger brother Harry - who was deployed on the frontlines in Afghanistan - are continuing a family tradition of armed forces service. Their grandfather, Prince Philip, had a long Navy career, as did their father, Prince Charles, and uncle, Prince Andrew.

William was slammed last month after it was discovered he had landed a military helicopter on girlfriend Kate Middleton's lawn and flew over some of his family's luxurious properties.

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