PRINCE William is poised to follow his brother Harry and be deployed on the frontline, says the Ministry of Defence.
Officials have said that the second-in-line to the throne could be sent overseas later this year with the Royal Navy.
He is likely to be deployed on a tour to the Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean in support of British forces fighting in Iraq or Afghan
istan.
The Pacific Ocean, the West Indies or the South Atlantic are also potential options.
A Navy spokesman said: "It's our intention to give Prince William as full a taste of life in the Royal Navy as possible.
The prince is an officer in the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals, but defence chiefs and the royal family want him to spend time in the other services, such as the Navy, to prepare him for his future role as head of the armed forces.
The 25-year-old has already gained experience with the RAF and is qualified to fly light aircraft. He is scheduled to go to the Royal Navy in May.
Prince Harry claimed that his brother was keen to see action. He added that William could eventually serve as a pilot rather than on the ground.
He said: "I know he'd love to – whether it's on the ground or whether it's 15,000ft up, bombs strapped to the wings, I'm not entirely sure what the plans are. But I know he would love to come out here."
Claiming William was "jealous" of his deployment to Helmand, the prince added: "I've had chats to him and he loves to know what's going on out here."
But the planned deployment of a second prince, this time with the Navy, will lead to renewed debate about the role of the royals on the frontline.
Naval royals include Prince Andrew, who served as a helicopter pilot in the 1982 Falklands War. During the Second World War, Prince Philip served with Royal Navy, although he was not a member of the British royal family at the time.
During the First World War, the then Duke of York and future King George VI served on a battleship at the Battle of Jutland during which the British fleet suffered heavy losses.
But even during the Great War, there was intense debate about how close senior royals could be to the frontline.
Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, clashed with the then heir to the throne and future Edward VIII, who was an officer in the Grenadier Guards and was keen to serve.
Kitchener was worried about the effect on morale if the heir to the throne was captured on the front. Despite the arguments, the then Prince managed to spend time at the front and earned a Military Cross in the process. His service earned him lasting respect from former servicemen.
Stuart Crawford, a former commander in the Royal Tank Regiment, said: "Royals have always served in the armed forces. Prince Charles did so, although he never saw action.
"I suppose it was a part of preparing them for leadership and effectively telling them, 'One day, my son, all this will be yours, so you'd better know how it works'. And the military is the ultimate state institution in that they are willing to lay down their lives for the country."
Former Scots Guards officer Ben Wallace said: "There's no reason why Prince William and Prince Harry can't serve at the frontline. It's probably not a good idea for them to be there at the same time, that's all."
The full article contains 602 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
