MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Prince Harry in South Pole race in support of wounded servicemen

Captain Wales making the announcement

Britain’s Prince Harry will take part in a race to the South Pole with a team of wounded British servicemen and women it was announced over the weekend. The 28-year-old will take on teams from the United States and the Commonwealth in the 335km Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge in November and December this year.

Prince Harry said at a press conference in London during which the teams were announced: “So, it just remains for me to say to Soldier On Canada, Soldiers To Summits from the US and Soldier On Australia - welcome to the party. As a member of the British team, I will have a brew ready for you when you join us at the Pole”.

Harry, who took part in the charity’s trek to the North Pole in 2011, is already patron of the Antarctica expedition but on making the announcement he confirmed he will be taking part with Team Glenfiddich for the whole race.

He missed out on a bid to conquer Mount Everest with the group last year because of his military commitments and he withdrew early from the successful North Pole expedition to attend his brother’s wedding.

He said of the South Pole race: “The format may be different. The scale is certainly different. But the aim remains the same - to enable our wounded to do what they and all other servicemen and women do better than anyone else I know - meet a challenge head-on and overcome it and inspire others to do the same.

“Ladies and gentlemen, these men and women have given their all in the cause of freedom, in our cause.

“That they should once again step into the breach - this time facing down the extreme physical and mental challenges of trekking to the South Pole - just underlines their remarkable qualities.”

Harry, who is known as Captain Wales in the Army, added: “So, what are these qualities? They are courage, to be sure; physical strength; endurance, a sense of comradeship, absolutely.

“But there’s something else, something deeper than that. Something that continues to draw me back to this charity and these people time and again - and always will. It’s toughness of mind. An unquenchable spirit that simply refuses to say, ‘I am beaten’”.