Britain's Prince Harry warned against the dangers of romanticising war in a speech given ahead of a lecture on the 1879 Anglo-Zulu war. The third in line to the British throne - who is an apache helicopter pilot and saw 10 weeks of active duty in 2007 - spoke about the dangers of when he introduced a lecture about the 1879 Anglo-Zulu war at St James's Palace yesterday.
Harry is a patron of the Zulu War and has visited the battlefield in KwaZulu, South Africa as well as staying at the Fugitive's Drift hotel, which overlooks it, and listening to lectures by Rob Caskie, who is an expert on the war. He explained: "I first went to Fugitive's Drift with my father in 1997 - a long, long time ago. I still have vivid memories of the place and the stories I was told there. "It is important that no cloudy romanticism surrounds stories about war, and that tales of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift do not glorify, at the expense of forgetting that real people died horrific violent deaths there." The lecture following the prince's speech talked about the battle of Isandlwana, which saw more than 1,300 British soldiers lose their lives. Following his talk, Mr Caskie said: "Prince Harry immediately accepted the idea of getting involved with these talks. To be hosted by Prince Harry is a very special treat."
The most famous battle of the war, at Rorke's Drift - where a small garrison of British officers fought off thousands of Zulu warriors - was immortalised in 1964 film 'Zulu' which starred Michael Caine.
Harry is a patron of the Zulu War and has visited the battlefield in KwaZulu, South Africa as well as staying at the Fugitive's Drift hotel, which overlooks it, and listening to lectures by Rob Caskie, who is an expert on the war. He explained: "I first went to Fugitive's Drift with my father in 1997 - a long, long time ago. I still have vivid memories of the place and the stories I was told there. "It is important that no cloudy romanticism surrounds stories about war, and that tales of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift do not glorify, at the expense of forgetting that real people died horrific violent deaths there." The lecture following the prince's speech talked about the battle of Isandlwana, which saw more than 1,300 British soldiers lose their lives. Following his talk, Mr Caskie said: "Prince Harry immediately accepted the idea of getting involved with these talks. To be hosted by Prince Harry is a very special treat."
The most famous battle of the war, at Rorke's Drift - where a small garrison of British officers fought off thousands of Zulu warriors - was immortalised in 1964 film 'Zulu' which starred Michael Caine.
