Prince Harry promoted to captain

Prince Harry has been promoted to captain after completing five years’ service as an officer in the British Army.

The announcement by St James’s palace comes a few days after the royal, a trainee apache helicopter pilot, passed the half-decade milestone.

Following a 44-week training course at Sandhurst, the prince was commissioned as an army officer on April 12, 2006.

A St James’s palace spokesman said the former lieutenant would now be known as Captain Harry Wales.

He added: “Prince Harry has been promoted to captain within the army air corps in recognition of time service in the armed forces.”

As a captain he will be on a pay band of £37,916 to just over £45,000.

The prince has been forging ahead with his military career and is well on the way to realising his dream of returning to the front line in Afghanistan.

He served for 10 weeks in the country as a forward air controller during 2007-2008, directing jets dropping bombs on Taliban positions in Helmand province.

Prince Harry’s official office also confirmed that the prince had passed an eight-month “conversion to type”course to learn how to fly the Apache helicopter while at the Army Aviation Centre (AAC) at Middle Wallop, Hampshire.

Prince Harry’s father, the Prince of Wales, a former royal navy helicopter pilot, paid a private visit to Middle Wallop last month.

The prince was awarded the coveted Apache badge from his squadron commander last Thursday.

Outlining other aspects of the training, a spokesman said: “Before progressing on to the night flying phase, Prince Harry was tested using a cockpit blackout system known as the “bag”.

“This exercise prepares students for flying on the night vision system, which displays thermal imagery into the helmet-mounted display over the pilot’s right eye.”