It has been revealed (thanks to an irresponsible leak) that Britain’s Prince Harry, third in line to the throne, has been fighting in Afghanistan with the British Army.

For all the justifiable talk about how the monarchy has become an irrelevancy in modern Britain, there’s something refreshing about seeing Prince Harry serving his nation as something more than a figurehead. His attitudes towards all of this has been nothing short of exemplary:

In a recent interview with CNN correspondent Paula Newton, Prince Harry said, “At the end of the day I like to sort of be a normal person, and for once I think this is about as normal as I’m ever going to get.”

And in a pre-deployment interview with the British Press Association, he said: “If I’m wanted, if I’m needed, then I will serve my country as I signed up to do.”

Prince Harry has demonstrated the sort of personal valor and spirit of sacrifice that should be an example to all Britons. The British people need more like him.