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Prince Harry planning to leave British Army

The 30-year-old prince, who is fourth in line for the throne, has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

By Alexandra Gratereaux
Prince Harry of Britain, second from left, and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho speak to students during a tour of the Harlem Children's Zone school in New York in 2009. File Photo by Lucas Jackson/Pool/UPI
Prince Harry of Britain, second from left, and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho speak to students during a tour of the Harlem Children's Zone school in New York in 2009. File Photo by Lucas Jackson/Pool/UPI | License Photo

LONDON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Prince Harry is considering leaving the military and focusing on initiatives to support disabled veterans, as well as his AIDS charity in Africa.

Harry, 30, who is fourth in line to rule Great Britain, has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He joined the British Army in May 2005. He worked his way up to Apache helicopter commander in July after training for three years. Harry also served as an Apache co-pilot gunner in 2013.

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"Harry's work with service members remains intensely important to him," a source close to the royal family told ABC News.

"Like many soldiers, Prince Harry is at a crossroads in his military career and took time to evaluate, 'Do you continue as a career soldier or do you decide to pursue a different path?'" the source said.

The Evening Standard reported that the prince thought "long and hard about his decision to leave active military service." He is scheduled to spend a few weeks serving with the Australian Army before he officially resigns.

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Aside from focusing on programs to assist disabled veterans, Harry will also focus on his philanthropic interests.

Harry co-founded Sentebale, a charitable organization dedicated to children living with AIDS in Lesotho, South Africa. He started the charity 10 years ago with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.

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