The Single Peer: January 2012

After giving careful thought to this year’s honoree, we could not resist an opportunity to profile one who is beloved by many and who is often overshadowed by his brother (whose engagement earned him the #1 ranking in 2010 on The Single Peer's Ten Lords-a-Leaping list and whose marriage then earned him a #1 ranking again in 2011).

Born in 1984 (15 September), this 27-year-old prince (pictured below) is the younger son of The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales and a grandson of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Harry is third in the line of succession to the throne of the United Kingdom and 15 other independent states.

Prince Harry attended Eton and Sandhurst, earning a commission as an officer in the British Army. He then famously served in Afghanistan, a tour of duty for which he received the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan. He follows in the footsteps of his uncle, HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (51; born 19 February, 1960), who served in a war zone during the Falklands War. In 2010, Prince Harry received his wings, deciding to fly attack helicopters for the Army Air Corps.

Now the most eligible bachelor in the world, Prince Harry is obviously the subject of much speculation. Despite his reputation as something of a bad boy and ladies’ man, he clearly has not dated every female in the U.K., despite tabloids that increasingly link his name to anyone with whom he comes in contact. Pippa Middleton (28; born 6 September, 1983), sister to HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, his sister-in-law, has been presented as a candidate for girlfriend by the tabloid press. On Prince Harry’s recent two-month sojourn in the United States for Apache helicopter training, any female who so much as served him drinks in Arizona, California, or Nevada was discussed as a potential girlfriend. Interestingly, earlier this month, within days of his return to the U.K., he was spotted out and about in Chelsea with former long-term flame, Chelsy Davy (26; born 13 October, 1985). Their relationship has been on-and-off since 2004, and, given that he announced his single status publicly earlier in the year, many wonder if they are simply friends now, or if one or both of them can’t make up their minds about their status and commit. Of course, his military service and training could also be having an effect on his romantic life.

Very fit and active, in addition to his military training, Prince Harry enjoys polo, rugby, motocross, and skiing. He follows in his family’s footsteps by supporting charities - often sports-related, as evidenced by his 2011 trek to the North Pole. He also carries out official duties on behalf of the Royal Family, when not away for military service. Prince Harry is continuing his military training, with 4-6 months ahead of him at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk until he could be combat-ready for possible deployment.