Prince William to join the SAS

London, Aug 1 : British royal Prince William, will become the first member of the Royal Family to be join the SAS.

In preparation for his role as the head of the Armed Forces, when he becomes king, Prince William will be spending up to six weeks with the Special Services as part of his training across all branches of the military.

Prince William will also be spending time with the Special Boat Squadron (SBS), the ultra-covert sister regiment of the SAS, and the elite Special Reconnaissance Regiment.

The SAS, whose motto is Who Dares Wins, has a permanent presence in Baghdad and has been involved in regular secret operations against al-Qaeda while the SBS is deeply involved in operations in Afghanistan.

But the role that the Prince will be playing at this point of time is that of an observer, and he will not be taking any part in the ongoing war.

While other members of the Royal Family have witnessed first hand the work of the Special Services, he is the first to be seconded to all three branches.

While he was an officer during his spells with the RAF and Royal Navy his army Lieutenant rank will count for nothing in the SAS.

"He is not going to be a junior officer. He will be there in a visiting role, to observe," Daily Telegraph quoted a MoD source as saying.

The SAS was created by David Stirling in 1941 as a desert raiding force, working behind German lines in Northern Africa, carrying out sabotage missions along Rommel's supply lines.

After the summer, the Prince will resume his training at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Whitehall.

He will, like other military officers, not be required to wear uniform, and will work alongside senior officers including Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff.

He may also work with Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, the husband of his aunt the Princess Royal, who also works at the Ministry of Defence.

ANI