There are few things that grab the public’s attention like the private lives of royalty. From divorce and death to romance and scandal, Americans love keeping up with the intriguing novelty of the British royal family. What many Americans fail to realize is that the queen and princes are not normal celebrities. Unlike most movie stars and singers, they have real political and social responsibilities. For example, Prince Henry went on a tour of duty in Afghanistan in late 2007 and early 2008. Instead of looking out for his safety, the media relentlessly pursued his whereabouts until the British Ministry of Defense confirmed the rumors spread by several magazines. These tabloids recklessly put Prince Henry in danger and they should not have forced the English government to reveal his location.

Prince Henry attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and is currently ranked as a lieutenant. In early 2007, the Ministry of Defense and Clarence House announced that the prince would serve in Iraq with his regiment. This decision was later rescinded. Prince Henry reportedly voiced disappointment that he would be safe at home while his fellow soldiers were out in the field. Apparently, the government took notice, because in Feb. 2008, the Ministry of Defense stated that the prince had been secretly deployed to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. For security reasons, Prince Henry’s location was to remain under wraps. He did not shirk his duty. According to reports, he participated in combat and performed patrol duty in the dangerous area he was stationed in. His actions backed up his statements that he truly wanted to fight with the other troops and serve his country as a soldier. Clearly, this was a serious mission for him and not a publicity stunt.

The media’s role in publicizing Prince Henry’s location in Iraq crossed a line from appropriate speculation to unnecessary and reckless exposure. While the public does find the personal life of the prince intriguing, magazines and other media should know the difference between giving the public trivial gossip and meddling in the security of a public figurehead. In fact, the Ministry of Defense had a deal with the British media to keep the prince’s location secret. The tabloids not only made a target of the prince, but also broke a contract with the government.

Even before numerous magazine rumors forced the government to confirm Prince Henry’s location, the fact that they published any speculation undermined the prince’s secrecy. Anyone could have gained access to that information and if, on a lucky guess, one of those locations were correct, the prince would have been in even greater danger. On top of the obvious danger to Prince Henry, the media also put the servicemen and women surrounding the prince in danger. These soldiers had even less reason to have their location exposed, and the actions of the media were extremely ungrateful to them. The government kept Prince Henry’s deployment a secret for a reason, and the media should respect such security decisions.

Once again, tabloid magazines have proven to be little more than vultures. This time, though, they have crossed the line between harmless gossip and dangerous exposure. The world may care deeply about the lives of royalty, but it must find a way of expressing that care that does not place anyone in danger. Prince Henry was lucky that he was pulled out of Afghanistan before anything could happen, but it is unfortunate that he was not able to complete his tour of duty the way he wished to, as an anonymous soldier.