I was going to post something different, but upon reading the rest of the thread, I have a new post in mind.

Ok. The kid wanted to serve and see combat. What's wrong with that? Yes, he's a royal, but he's also a young man who has been through a rough patch in his life and is turning things around. Why not let him do some military service? Let him get it out of his system. It's what he wanted. He's a person, not a porcelain doll.