Prince Harry thanks Australia for its warm welcome

On 07/05/2015, Prince Harry, serving as Captain Harry Wales, publicly thanked the Australian people for the “warm welcome” he received during his month-long secondment with the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The message was delivered as his attachment drew to a close, just one day before the official conclusion of his deployment. During his time in Australia, Prince Harry trained and worked alongside several military units, including the 2nd Commando Regiment in Sydney and the Special Air Service Regiment in Western Australia. The secondment formed part of ongoing defence cooperation between the United Kingdom and Australia and represented his final overseas military assignment. In his remarks, Prince Harry acknowledged the support and hospitality shown to him by both military personnel and the wider public throughout his stay. His experience in Australia followed a decade of service in the British Army, during which he completed two tours in Afghanistan and qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot. The statement on 07/05/2015 came shortly before he concluded the secondment on 08/05/2015 and went on to formally resign his commission the following month, on 19/06/2015, ending his full-time military career.