Australian bushfires live: Firefighter dies battling bushfires in Vic, Scott Morrison announces plan for royal commission
Highlights
A new bushfire map using NASA satellite images
Scott Morrison calls for royal commission into bushfire disaster
Mum, dad die separately after evacuating bushfires
Aussie's bushfire video goes viral
Toll on Kangaroo Island includes 32,000 sheep
More than a million fires detected
Sydney choked by bushfire smoke again
Veteran newsman breaks down on live TV
Warning: Feeding koalas water from a bottle could kill
PM concedes bushfire handling errors
Out-of-control blaze threatens tourist spot
Relief after overnight NSW bushfire battle
A new bushfire map using NASA satellite images shows just how bad Australia's bushfire season has become. And it'll get worse from here.Marnie O' Neill news.com.au Last updated January 12, 2020
Video Image
Scott Morrison calls for royal commission into bushfire disaster (ABC)
Scott Morrison will take a proposal to cabinet to establish a royal commission into the bushfire tragedy.
The Victorian bushfire death toll has risen to four after a firefighter died battling a blaze in the state’s alpine region.
The Forest Fire Management Victoria firefighter from Parks Victoria was killed while battling a blaze in the Omeo area on Saturday, Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp confirmed.
While bushfire conditions have eased, Mr Crisp warned there was a “long way to go” before the state’s fire season was over.
Milder conditions are forecast for the next week to 10 days, meaning attention can turn to getting the upper hand on the more than 20 fires still burning. Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said relieving exhausted emergency services workers was also a priority.
More than 1.3 million hectares have been razed since November 21, while 286 homes and 400 other buildings have been damaged.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded there are things he could have handled better in terms of the devastating bushfires.
Mum, dad die separately after evacuating bushfires
Rohan Smith
Tragedy has followed a NSW mum and dad who died 11 days apart after being evacuated because of bushfires.
The Daily Telegraph reports Stephanie Culliton, 76, and Tony Culliton, 77, had both been unwell for some time.
The parents of acclaimed artists Lucy and Anna Culliton died separately in Canberra and Bombala Hospitals after being evacuated from their property in the Blue Mountains suburb of Little Hartley to stay with Lucy in Bibbenluke in the Snowy Monaro region of NSW.
The couple's children were worried the Little Hartley property would be impacted by the Gospers Mountain fire.
Aussie's bushfire video goes viral
Rohan Smith
Australian actor Ben Lawson has captured a feeling familiar to so many Australians right now in a video that has, rightfully, gone viral.
The former Neighbours' star, who took his talents abroad more than 10 years ago, put pen to paper to write a poem that captured his emotions at seeing his home country burn.
In the six-minute video, titled 'To my country, from an expat', tears fill Lawson's eyes as he recalls watching reports on Australia's bushfire crisis from afar.
My heart stopped for a second, and my throat became too tight.
Her name was in the headlines, she didn't look alright.
I had to sit, I couldn't quite believe my own two eyes.
She looked unrecognisable, I'd never seen those skies.
View this post on Instagram
Thank you to all those who have stepped up to help us so far! If you can spare a few bucks please go to @cfavic @sa_countryfireservice @qldfire @nswrfs @tasmaniafireservice @wireswildliferescue @rspcaaustralia @wwf_australia @portmacquariekoalahospital @wildlifevictoria @buyfromthebush Thank you x 🐨
A post shared by Ben Lawson (@bennyvegas) on Jan 9, 2020 at 12:29pm PST
The video has been viewed more than 73,000 times. In comments, Aussies thanked Lawson for saying what they had not been able to.
"Brilliant. I'm in tears," one woman wrote. "Hugs from Australia. She'll be right mate."
She will indeed.
Lawson has guest starred in US sitcoms Modern Family and Covert Affairs and recently appeared in Designated Survivor on Netflix.
Toll on Kangaroo Island includes 32,000 sheep
Rohan Smith
The fires that burn relentlessly on South Australia's beautiful Kangaroo Island have claimed more than 32,000 sheep, more than 500 head of cattle, 65 alpacas and five horses, according to reports.
The Australian Associated Press reports agriculture experts have taken stock on the scale of the disaster.
The fires, which have burned through 210,000 hectares on the island, reportedly impacted on 800 bee hives. Kangaroo Island is home of the unique Ligurian bee, which is protected from disease by strict rules, including restrictions on products like honey and wax, hives and equipment.
Kangaroo Island Australia, before and after 🥺😢 pic.twitter.com/Ri7wj1a2yU— justcallmechrissy🧚♂️ (@chrissytwittwit) January 7, 2020
Tens of thousands of livestock and hundreds of beehives have been destroyed on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.
Country Fire Service incident controller Ian Tanner says non-essential travel to Kangaroo Island is best postponed.
“If you do need to come here to support relatives and friends, then it’s OK to come,” he said.
“But if you don’t need to come to Kangaroo Island at this point in time, then please give us a bit longer to get this sorted.”
— With Karen Sweeney
More than a million fires detected
Rohan Smith
Australia's bushfire season has been enormous, but it might be bigger than you thought.
According to satellite images from NASA, there have been more than a million infrared heat signatures indicating fire since September.
The Washington Post has created a heat map showing just how frequently fire activity has broken out.
Clever graphic from @washingtonpost on the staggering number of infrared heat signatures spotted in Australia since the bushfire season began. https://t.co/DdmtZKmWWa pic.twitter.com/RZmP20mQ5z— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) January 12, 2020
Since the start of the 2019 season, more than 10 million hectares has been burned.
To put this into perspective, an area the size of the Netherlands has been burned in NSW alone.
Sydney choked by bushfire smoke again
Large swathes of NSW have again been blanketed in smoke as bushfires continue to ravage the state, as air quality raged from poor to hazardous.
According to the NSWRFS, the haze has been worst in Sydney and the state's southeast along the coast all the way to the Victorian border.
"With easing conditions, we have also seen an increase in smoke impacting a number of areas across the state," it tweeted.
In Sydney, where the temperature was just 18 degrees at 2pm, people are reporting the smoke is having a major impact on everything from health to solar panels.
Running in the sun… #sydneysmoke pic.twitter.com/UIRbeXOMvI— alexandermayesphotography (@AM81photography) January 12, 2020
Sydney's thick smoke haze at 12.50pm stopping all but 8w of solar power generation on our roof. Add the cost of extra power bills to the community cost o the fires, Mr Morrison #sydneysmoke pic.twitter.com/cIRYh0FugN— Simon Chapman AO (@SimonChapman6) January 12, 2020
"My experience as a tourist today in Sydney: My lungs are ," wrote Fiona Mathieson on Twitter.
"My lungs are burning, my sinuses are aching. I can't stop can’t stop sneezing because of the irritation & today we are avoiding the smoked out cbd and seeking shelter in Hoyts Chatswood instead.
"It must be apocalyptic at the firegrounds."
Air quality in Sydney is very poor to hazardous again 😷 @WebcamSydney #sydneysmoke is having health implications @NSWHealth I was shocked at the number of people being treated from smoke/air quality in Sydney during the week when I had 5 stitches in my leg. pic.twitter.com/RVUpjHKNjN— mOrganics-kim.morgan (@mOrganicsKim) January 12, 2020
There are new health warnings over the bushfire smoke blanketing Sydney today. A poor 'Air Quality Forecast' alert has been issued by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. https://t.co/OF81oZFF1j #SydneySmoke #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/MwbY6RBxte— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) January 12, 2020
Veteran newsman breaks down on live TV
Journalist Ron Wilson has broken down on live TV after the bushfire coverage triggered his own traumatic memories of surviving a natural catastrophe 45 years ago.
As a guest on Sunrise this morning, Mr Wilson was asked if a $76 million package towards the mental health of bushfire survivors would be enough.
“It is an enormous project and (trauma) not just this week, next week, it can go on for years,” he said.
“I’ve actually sat on the couch here in this studio and been in tears thinking about the Cyclone Tracy which I went through 45 years ago and you never really get past it. …And….And…I can’t even talk about it now.”
Despite his overwhelmingly sad emotions, Mr Wilson was also happy about the injection into mental health.
“You’re rebuilding lives (with that money),” he said. “You’re not building things. You’re rebuilding lives.”
Ron Wilson and Melissa Hoyer join Matt to discuss the Governments $76 million injection into mental health support for bushfire victims. pic.twitter.com/9DvFc4JnKR— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) January 11, 2020
Warning: Feeding koalas water from a bottle could kill
A wildlife shelter has issued an urgent warning about feeding koalas water from a bottle because it can kill them.
"Please DO NOT GIVE WATER TO KOALAS BY POURING WATER FROM BOTTLES INTO THEIR MOUTHS, Animalia Wildlife Shelter in Frankston, Victoria said.
"With all the Facebook posts about people caring for wildlife amidst the fire and heat disasters over these past weeks, a silent tragedy is happening.
"Koalas are DYING because people are trying to help but don't understand how a koala actually drinks."
The shelter cited the case of Arnie, a koala who survived a bushfire with minor burns to his feet and hands in the town of Bairnsdale but died after a group of good Samaritans fed him some water from their bottle.
Read the full post here
According to one Frankston Animal Shelter, you can kill a koala by pouring water from a bottle – as they don’t drink like that, if at all. Some have even died from water on the lungs. Makes you wonder what happened to all those koalas in the viral videos. 🐨😢 pic.twitter.com/h41dp0wz23— Andy Park (@andy_park) January 11, 2020
Earlier this month, TV vet Dr Chris Brown also warned against the well-intentioned but potentially deadly act, advising people to let koalas drink at their own pace.
"While it might look great on the ‘gram, offering a koala a drink from a bottle isn’t without risks," he wrote.
"If water is forced down the throat of a stressed or weakened koala, it can easily end up in their lungs, causing a potentially deadly pneumonia.
"The safest bet is actually to pour it into a bowl (if available) and let them drink the water from there."
Matt Young
Couple accused of looting in fire-ravaged town
A mother and her boyfriend allegedly raided a shop which had been burned by bushfires and stole hundreds of dollars worth of electrical items.
Kylie Pobjie, 31, and plumber Leon Elton, 38, are accused of driving two hours through smoke to ransack the store in Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast on Wednesday.
The pair was arrested on Friday after police raided two homes following reports of looting on the NSW South Coast.
Stolen goods were allegedly seized from the properties at Narooma and Tilba Tilba and Pobjie and Elton were arrested later that evening.
Both were charged with larceny and entering a building to commit an indictable offence. Elton faces an additional charge of drug possession.
A third person was arrested on Saturday after police intercepted a Mazda sedan in Batemans Bay and allegedly found mobile phones inside the car.
They allege the phones were stolen from the same electrical goods business allegedly ransacked by Pobjie and Elton.
A 26-year-old man who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was charged with receiving stolen property.
He was refused bail to appear at Batemans Bay Local Court on Sunday.
Anyone with information about unsafe or unlawful behaviour in the bushfire affected region is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
4:01 pmJanuary 12, 2020
Sydney Opera House lights up to support firefighters
Matt Young
The Sydney Opera House lit up its sails on Saturday night in a show of support for those in fire-ravaged communities and the firefighters who are still fighting the blaze.
The colourful display featured images from photographers who have been capturing the fires that have been going on for months.
The message is a positive one and has a special focus on the moments of solidarity and hope that were captured on camera over the last three months.
Thank-you @NSWRFS for all you have done! You are all truly amazing! 🇦🇺 💕 #thankyoufiries #nswrfs #australianspiritprevails #australianfires #bushfire #AustraliaisBurning #sydneyoperahouse #sydney #australia pic.twitter.com/LzRQsnh5xn— Jane Alexander (@janevalex) January 11, 2020
Read the full story here.
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PERMANENT ARMS ECONOMY
In Germany, gridlock over nuclear-capable fighter jet
Germany's Air Force has a special mission: deliver American nukes in the case of a nuclear strike. But its Tornado fleet is rapidly nearing the end of its shelf life. So why has Germany yet to decide on a replacement?
In a given week in late November, the number of flightworthy Tornado fighter jets stationed at Büchel Air Base varied widely: Sometimes, twelve out of the 45 planes were operational; soon after, less than a handful.
"That's pretty tight," according to one pilot.
He spoke to DW on condition of anonymity. For the air base, tucked away amid the picturesque plateaus of the Eifel region in western Germany, has a special, secret mission: It is here that American nuclear bombs are stored in what is officially termed a "nuclear sharing agreement."
In the case of a nuclear strike, German Tornado fighter jets and their crews would deliver the American bombs.
An aerial view of Büchel, where as many as 20 nuclear bombs are stored
American bombs on German soil
Their location is a state secret. The German government has never officially confirmed the existence of the nuclear bombs in Büchel. The precise number of bombs stored in the underground vaults in the air base is thus unclear; estimates range between 10 to 20.
On the record, the Germany government only admits to being part of the sharing agreement, which dates back to the Cold War and NATO's nuclear deterrence strategy aimed at keeping Soviet influence at bay.
In essence, it provides for member states of the military alliance without nuclear weapons to partake in planning and training for the use of nuclear weapons by NATO and, officials argue, for their views to be taken into account by nuclear-capable countries, including the US. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy are all part of the sharing agreement.
Upkeep of Tornado fleet skyrocketing
But as Germany's Tornado fleet is swiftly nearing the end of its shelf life, the cost of maintaining a fleet for the nuclear mission is skyrocketing.
"The increase each year is brutally high," as one parliamentarian put it.
DW has obtained a copy of an official document from the Ministry of Defense, which puts the expenditure for the Tornado fleet, including maintenance, procurement and development, at €502 million ($562 million) in 2018. This year, the figure is estimated to reach €629 million.
The problem is that the planes date back to the early 1980s. Until a few years ago, the fleet, which once numbered roughly 350 planes, was progressively reduced, meaning that retired airplanes could be cannibalized for spare parts.
Now, parts for the remaining 85 airplanes have to be manufactured at great cost — or taken from jets that are undergoing maintenance and built into those about to be returned to the Air Force, leading to long delays in planes becoming airworthy again.
The situation is so dire that pilots are struggling to fulfill the quota of flight hours needed to maintain their license — and it is leading to a shortage of flightworthy planes needed for the nuclear sharing agreement and other missions.
Tornado planes in Manching undergoing their routine maintenance
Spare parts 'more and more difficult'
In early December, in an imposing purpose-built hangar at an Airbus' compound, civilian and military mechanics were busy doing maintenance on twenty disassembled Tornados — some of them were stripped of their varnish, a tangle of cables visible in their fuselage, their distinctive black nosecones propped beside them.
It is here, in the vast compound close to the sleepy Bavarian town of Manching, that the Air Forces' Tornado fleet undergoes its routine maintenance.
Planes rotate in every three years — and most stay for roughly 350 days, according to Katharina Semmler-Schuler, head of Tornado Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul at Airbus Defence and Space Germany.
Spare parts, she said, were indeed a problem — the process of rotating them from one plane to the next added an extra 20 days to the maintenance, she said. "And it's getting more and more difficult."
Competing interests and heel-dragging
But despite the problems, Germany seems in no hurry to replace its fleet: While most other European countries have retired Tornado jets or are in the process of doing so, the German government has yet to decide which plane to replace it with.
DW spoke to several government and opposition politicians and members of the German Air Force — and they all agreed that a decision was urgent. The Tornado's operational capability is only guaranteed until 2025. After that, the costs for extending the fleet for another five years could be as high as €13 billion. Once a deal has been reached, it could still take several years for the airplanes to be built and then finally reach the Air Force hangars.
The decision has pitted different strategic, political and industrial interests in Germany and abroad against each other, making it difficult to reach a consensus for a deal that could be as high as €10 billion.
Several European countries have opted for the state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jet
Three options: F-35, F/A-18 or Eurofighter
Talk to politicians and Air Force officials, and they name three possible airplanes: The F-35, F/A-18 or Eurofighter Typhoon.
Many within the German Air Force prefer the American F-35 fighter jet produced by Lockheed Martin, the most modern airplane available on the market.
American planes would come with established logistics chains and programs to quickly train pilots, compared to training in Germany which can drag on for years.
The other European nuclear-sharing countries — Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy — have all opted for the F-35.
French pressure against American F-35 jets
But here this option seems to have been quietly dropped, in part due to French pressure: For Germany and France are in the early stages of developing a joint fighter plane — the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which combines manned fighter jets with swarms of cloud-connected drones.
"We let the French blackmail us," one parliamentarian, who favors the F-35, told DW.
The French threatened to go FCAS alone, should Germany buy the modern American F-35 jets, which could make the government here less inclined to pour billions into the development of a possibly only slightly more state-of-the-art European jet that could take years, possibly decades, until it reaches the market.
A German Eurofighter jet on display at the International Paris Air Show in 2019
And, there is another reason some politicians are wary of the F-35: It is, they concede, basically a black box. "You don't know which information or data may be transmitted to America," one parliamentarian told DW.
In theory, Germany could add to its 138-strong fleet of Eurofighter jets, built by a European consortium owned by Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. In Germany, the plane's final assembly is also done in Manching, where the Tornados undergo their maintenance, and it is an important regional employer.
During a recent visit to Manching, Wolfgang Gammel, Vice President of Airbus Defence and Space, did his best to promote his company's fighter jet to DW. "As long as there is a European option, Germany should buy European," he stressed.
Airbus knows that many within the Air Force are unhappy with the quality of planes that were delivered in the past — but Gammel pointed to overly bureaucratic and drawn-out military procurement policies in Germany.
Much is at stake for the company, as a deal would come with lucrative maintenance contracts which would secure jobs for decades.
And the Eurofighter is an important component of FCAS. Should Germany decide to buy an American plane, Gammel fears, funding for research and development into upgrading the Eurofighter could be put on hold — or the entire project could be put off.
In his office decked out with model fighter planes, he told DW that the Eurofighter was perfectly capable of replacing the Tornado fleet, including its nuclear capacity.
Nuclear certification
It is a tricky issue, as the US reportedly told the German government that it would take much longer to certify the Eurofighter for its nuclear role than any American aircraft — possibly up to ten years. That would push it close to the Tornados' end date.
Airbus maintains that Germany shouldn't have given the Americans an option, but simply told them to certify the Eurofighter, rather than let them favor the American-produced plane.
There is one capability, however, that Gammel admits that his plane does not yet have: suppression of air defense (SEAD). The term refers to the ability to suppress or destroy enemy air defense systems, such as missiles or radar.
While Airbus recently announced that it had begun research into SEAD capabilities, it is still in its early stages and could take several years to develop.
The F-35 and the F/A-18 in its Growler version both have SEAD capabilities.
Compromise solution?
A compromise seems to have emerged to split the deal among Eurofighter and the American F/A-18 Growler fighter jets, built by Boeing, opting for roughly 40 of each.
To keep Airbus happy, the maintenance of the American planes could be done in Manching.
But such a deal doesn't resonate well with Gammler. He told DW that the compromise would endanger engineering and development skills that would only come with a decision to buy Eurofighters, while doing the maintenance of the F/A-18 would secure less than 100 blue-collar jobs.
Much depends on Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD). Off-the-record, several parliamentarians from Merkel's CDU and her sister party CSU, accused the SPD of dragging its feet in an effort to delay an unpopular decision that might anger its traditionally anti-nuclear party base.
That was not the case, SPD member of Parliament and party spokesman for defense Fritz Felgentreu, told DW. Rather, he pointed to the Ministry of Defense, which had yet to submit the official result of its inquiry into the various fighter jets to parliament.
Whether the SPD can convince their party base to support a nuclear-capable fighter jet remains unclear
An explosive topic
Like many of his party's foreign policy and security politicians, Felgentreu prefers to uphold the nuclear sharing agreement. In theory, Germany could pull out, as Greece and the United Kingdom have done, in the latter case following popular protests against the nukes. But "it wouldn't be prudent for Germany (to do so)," Felgentreu told DW. "If we do no one will consult us on how to develop NATO's nuclear strategy."
In early 2020, the two left-leaning leaders of the Social Democrats — Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken — called for a withdrawal of all nuclear weapons in Europe and Russia, adding that the presence of American nukes in Germany was "problematic."
For now, it is unclear who might gain the upper hand within the party — and, Felgentreu admitted, the SPD's parliamentary group had yet to discuss the issue in any great detail. It is a politically sensitive topic: Should the SPD pivot away from the nuclear sharing agreement, it could potentially upend Merkel's increasingly fractious coalition. And so, some fear, while the defense ministry has promised a decision by early 2020, it may yet again be put off, despite the spiraling costs.
Meanwhile, frustration is mounting among the German Air Force. "We just want a plane that does its job," one Tornado pilot told DW wryly. "Time is running out.
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NATO at 70 - "Brain Dead" or Fighting Fit?
Date 10.01.2020
Author Naomi Conrad, Nina Werkhäuser
Related Subjects Germany, Bundeswehr
Keywords tornado, fighter jet, nuclear, bomb, Germany, Bundeswehr
The parallels between Prince Harry and his great-granduncle Edward VIII, who left the British throne for an American divorcée, go far beyond their wives
FEATURE ARTICLE LONG READ
ONE SUPPORTED THE NAZI'S THE OTHER DRESSED UP AS ONE
JUST BACK FROM GERMANY
Anneta Konstantinides
Prince Harry and his great-granduncle King Edward VIII
both married American women. Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs
Archives/Getty Images/Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stirred a media frenzy after announcing they were taking a "step back" from their senior royal roles on Wednesday.
The move has drawn comparisons to King Edward VIII, Harry's great-granduncle, who stepped down from the British throne to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson.
Edward and Harry had more in common than just their wives. Both were popular princes in their youth who became passionate about their military careers.
While the royal family accepted Markle with open arms — unlike when Edward tried to marry Simpson in 1936 — both women found themselves at the center of constant scrutiny from the British tabloids.
Once upon a time, in 1936 to be exact, a king who had once been a popular prince gave up the British throne to marry an American divorcée he had fallen madly in love with.
Fast-forward 84 years and a similar story is playing out in the British tabloids, albeit with a few different key details. Prince Harry is not a king, he was allowed to marry the American divorcée he loved, and his decision to take a "step back" from the royal family likely won't change the succession to the throne.
And yet, there are still many similarities in the stories of King Edward VIII and Prince Harry, both of whom watched as their popularity in the press turned to intense scrutiny as they fell in love with American women.
Before he was crowned king in 1936, and during his short reign on the throne, Edward had been well-liked by the public.
Edward poses while a young girl takes his photograph during
his royal tour in 1919. Central Press/Getty Images
"Charming and informal, he was a popular prince touring Britain and the empire, fond of golf, tennis, parties, and dancing," according to The History Press.
When Edward died in 1972, The New York Times remembered him as a "romantic and carefree Prince Charming blessed with the common touch" during his youth.
"Edward VIII had been a king of great popularity. The abdication that caused a worldwide sensation visibly distressed his subjects," the Times' Robert Alden added.
Prince Harry was voted the second most popular royal in 2019, only behind Queen Elizabeth.
Prince Harry pets a dog as he greets the crowds leaving
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health ahead of the
Invictus Games 2017 on September 23, 2017 in Toronto,
Canada Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the
Invictus Games Foundation
Fresh off his fairytale wedding to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry actually topped a royal poll in 2018. He was deemed likeable by 77% of respondents in the YouGov poll, followed by the Queen (74%), and Prince William (73%).
Survey respondents described him as "admirable, likeable, humorous, fun-loving, and genuine."
Prince Harry fell to the second spot in the same survey in 2019, but was still deemed likeable by 71% of the respondents. Prince William came in third with 69%.
Throughout his youth, Edward was more known for his love of dancing and music than any inclination towards school.
A drawing, based on a radio description, of Edward (center)
dancing on board the liner Berengaria on his way to the
US for a Royal Visit in September 1924.
Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
"Edward did not excel academically," according to his New York Times obituary. "He proved more interested in his banjo than in his books."
Diary entries from the future king, also obtained by the Times, referenced his penchant for partying late into the night.
"My dancing is improving, I got in at 4," one reads.
"I have had not more than eight hours' sleep in the last 72 hours!" he proclaims in another.
Prince Harry admitted he never enjoyed school, and became infamous for his partying ways during his youth.
An arrangement of British daily newspapers photographed
in London on August 23, 2012 shows the front-page headlines
and stories regarding nude pictures of Britain's Prince Harry.
DANIEL SORABJI/AFP via Getty Images
"I didn't enjoy school at all," the prince said during a visit to a Cape Town youth center in 2015. "When I was at school, I wanted to be the bad boy."
Prince Harry got swept up in a number of scandals during his 20s, including wearing a Nazi costume to a friend's party and wearing nothing at all during a game of strip poker at a private party in Las Vegas. Pictures from both incidents were leaked to the press.
But both princes changed their ways after they joined the army and became passionate about their military careers.
Edward pictured on the Italian Front during
World War I. Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images
Edward, who trained for the Royal Navy, was commissioned into the army after World War I began in 1914. The young Prince of Wales was desperate to be on the front lines, but the Secretary of State for War at the time, Herbert Kitchener, refused.
"What difference is it if I am killed? The king has four other sons," Edward once asked Kitchener, according to the Times obituary.
"If I were certain you would be killed, sir, I don't know whether I should be right to restrain you," Kitchener responded. "What cannot permit is the chance of the enemy securing you as his prisoner."
Edward was eventually allowed to serve in France. Although he was "never permitted in the front lines for long, he was under fire several times and performed his duty well," the obituary reads.
The future king later told his father that the reason he didn't wear his military medals was because he had "always been kept well out of danger" during the war.
"I feel so ashamed to wear medals which I only have because of my position, where there are so many thousands of gallant officers, who lead a terrible existence in the trenches and who have been in battles of the fiercest kind (many severely wounded or sick as a result) who have not been decorated," reads the letter, which was published in the Times.
Prince Harry was likewise proud of his military career and, much like his great-granduncle, was outspoken about his desire to serve on the front lines.
Prince Harry sits on his camp bed in the Helmand province
of Southern Afghanistan in 2008. John Stillwell -
PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images
In May 2005, a 20-year-old Prince Harry began training as an Officer Cadet at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, according to the Royal Family's website.
In January 2006, he joined the Blues and Royals, the second-most senior regiment in the British Army. That same year it was reported that the Blues and Royals would be deployed to Iraq — and Prince Harry had already made it clear he wanted to go as well.
"The last thing I want to do is have my soldiers away to Iraq or wherever like that and for me to be held back home," he said during a 2005 television interview.
But it would be three years until the British Army finally gave Prince Harry his wish, fearing that a highly-publicized deployment would put his fellow troops at risk. When the prince went to Afghanistan in 2008, the British press agreed not to report the news, according to Esquire.
During his 10-year career in the Army, Prince Harry served two tours in Afghanistan and ultimately received the rank of Captain. But the Army also gave the prince an escape from the pressures that came with being a royal.
"It's very easy to forget who I am when I am in the army," he told The Guardian in 2013. "Everyone's wearing the same uniform and doing the same kind of thing. I get on well with the lads and I enjoy my job. It really is as simple as that."
Unlike their brothers, Edward and Prince Harry became known for their bachelor status and numerous relationships.
Prince Harry and British model Cressida Bonas attend
a charity event together at Wembley Arena on
March 7, 2014 in London. Karwai Tang/WireImage
Both Prince William and King George VI, who took the throne after Edward abdicated, married when they were 28 years old.
Prince Harry did not marry Meghan Markle until he was 33, and Edward didn't tie the knot with Wallis Simpson until he was 42.
During his time as Prince of Wales, Edward was "linked at one time or another with the names of most of the world's eligible princesses," according to the Times.
Harry likewise had a string of famous flings and relationships, including British TV presenter Caroline Flack, British singer Mollie King, and British model Cressida Bonas. He was also linked to pop star Ellie Goulding.
Edward and Prince Harry both met the American woman who would change their life through mutual friends.
Edward and Simpson in Sussex, England,
in 1939. Evening Standard/Getty Images
Edward met Wallis Simpson during a weekend party at the home of Lady Furness — a married American woman who was said to be the prince's mistress — in January 1931.
Simpson and her husband, Ernest Simpson, were actually invited by chance after a married couple who had been on Lady Furness' guest list fell ill, according to The History Press.
In his 1951 autobiography "A King's Story," Edward revealed that he hadn't made a great first impression on Wallis. The prince tried to strike up a conversation with the American socialite by asking if she missed her native country's central heating.
"I am sorry, sir, but you have disappointed me," she replied. "Every American woman who comes to your country is always asked the same question. I had hoped for something more original from the Prince of Wales."
Harry had far more luck when he first met Markle after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date in July 2016.
The prince later revealed that he knew the American actress was the one from "the very first time we met."
Edward and Simpson were friends for years before they tied the knot, while Harry and Markle had a whirlwind romance.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at their engagement
photo call in November 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Simpson had made an impression on the Prince of Wales after that fateful first encounter. The pair would meet again during an event at Buckingham Palace, during which Edward said he was "struck by the grace of her carriage and the natural dignity of her movements," according to his autobiography.
Rumors swirled around the couple as their relationship deepened over the years, though none ever made it to the British press until almost just before Edward's abdication thanks to "governmental persuasions and pressures," according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
But within the royal family, tensions were boiling. Then everything came to a head when Simpson obtained a preliminary decree of divorce on October 27, 1936 (more on that later).
It was a far different courtship for Prince Harry and Markle. The couple only kept their relationship under wraps for four months before the prince issued a public statement confirming that Markle was his girlfriend as he condemned the media's treatment of her.
"Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her," part of the November 2016 statement reads. "It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm."
A year later, they were engaged.
Edward, now king, had almost no support after he made it clear that he had every intention to marry Wallis.
King Edward VIII is pictured here just before giving his
abdication speech to the people of Great Britain on
December 11, 1936.
Bob Thomas/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images
Both Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and the queen told Edward that it was his duty as king to end his relationship with Wallis for his country. Winston Churchill was "his only notable ally," according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Edward tried to pursue a morganatic marriage, which would prevent the passage of his titles and privileges as king to Simpson. But Baldwin nixed the idea and pressured the king to make a decision, according to Churchill's official biography "Churchill: A Life," written by Martin Gilbert.
Just a week after the word "abdication" was first mentioned in the press, Edward became the only British sovereign to ever voluntarily relinquish the crown.
The following day, on December 11, 1936, Edward announced his decision during a radio broadcast to the British public, telling them: "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love."
While Markle — like Simpson — was a divorcée, she was swiftly accepted by Prince Harry's family, signaling to many that the royals were entering a new modern era.
Meghan Markle and Queen Elizabeth sit together during
an official royal outing in July 2018.
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
The Queen gave her official blessing for Prince Harry and Markle's marriage in March 2018.
Prince Harry even revealed that the Queen's beloved corgis instantly took to the American actress.
"I've spent the last 33 years being barked at," he told the BBC in the couple's first interview following their engagement. "This one walks in, absolutely nothing."
Edward and Simpson were married in a French chateau in June 1937 with relatively little fanfare. No member of the royal family attended.
Edward and Wallis Simpson posing at
the Castle of Conde on their wedding day
on June 3, 1937. Mondadori via Getty Images
As a Time reporter described it then: "The register was signed and the civil ceremony, witnessed by but seven souls, was over in five minutes."
Edward and Simpson exchanged vows at an altar that "had been hastily improvised on an old oak chest." The bride wore a blue dress.
After they said "I do," the newlyweds and their guests enjoyed "champagne, salad, and a few speeches" before Edward and Simpson dashed off to their honeymoon.
Meanwhile, Harry and Markle's wedding was a major event, with celebrity guests including Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, and Serena Williams in attendance.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day on May 19, 2018. Danny Lawson/AP
Prince Charles walked Markle down the aisle after her father pulled out of the wedding following reports that he had staged photos to sell to tabloids.
Nearly 30 million Americans tuned in to watch the televised event (by comparison, 22.8 million watched Prince William tie the knot with Kate Middleton, according to Nielsen). Markle's Givenchy wedding dress, the design of which had been speculated for months on end by the press, has its own Wikipedia page.
After the church ceremony came an afternoon reception — which included a serenade by Sir Elton John — as well as a star-studded evening party hosted by Prince Charles.
Simpson and Markle's relationships with British royalty turned them into bona fide celebrities. But it also brought intense — and often negative — scrutiny from the press.
Simpson's name dominated headlines during Edward's abdication. Keystone/Getty Images
Simpson was named "Woman of the Year" by Time in 1936, the year Edward gave up the throne for her. The magazine called her "the most-talked-about, written-about, headlined and interest-compelling person in the world."
But such fame came with a price. And, according to royal biographer Andrew Morton's book "Wallis in Love," Simpson felt the world was against her.
In a conversation excerpted in Town & Country magazine, Simpson tells her longtime friend Herman Rogers (who she was rumored to be in love with) that her newfound celebrity made her "want to run away and hide."
"Whether you like it or not, the world is discovering you," Rogers tells her.
"Discovering me? You mean destroying me," she replied.
Markle was a runner-up for Time's Person of the Year in 2018. But as the magic of her royal wedding wore off, she found herself at the center of constant scrutiny by the British press.
A stack of Evening Standard newspapers features the eyes
of Meghan Markle in London. Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images Images
Articles called out Markle for breaking royal protocol, then praised Kate Middleton for doing the exact same thing. Markle was even criticized for holding her baby bump during her pregnancy. Excerpts of a private letter she sent to her father were published in the Mail on Sunday, leading to a legal battle.
Markle opened up about her struggles with the attention in the ITV documentary, "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey."
"When I first met my now husband, my friends were really happy because I was so happy," Markle told British journalist Tom Bradby. "But my British friends said to me: 'I'm sure he's great. But you shouldn't do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life."'
"I think I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip," Markle added. "I tried, I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging."
Both Edward and Harry reportedly fell out with their brothers as their romantic relationships became more serious.
Prince Harry and Prince William in December 2019. Jack Taylor/Getty Images
King George VI, then known as Prince Albert, Duke of York, and his wife, the future Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, are said to have stopped visiting Edward "so much did they dislike what they heard of the king's subservient behavior toward Mrs. Simpson," according to The History Press.
Similar rumors of strife between Prince Harry and Prince William, as well as their wives, also abounded not long after the royal wedding. Harry himself appeared to confirm he was having issues with his older brother in the ITV documentary.
"We are certainly on different paths at the moment," he said. "The majority of stuff is created out of nothing but as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days."
Following his abdication, Edward and Simpson did not attend an official public ceremony with members of the royal family for 31 years.
Edward and Wallis Simpson (together left) with Queen Elizabeth II (right) attend a ceremony celebrating the centenary of the birth of Queen Mary on June 7, 1967. Keystone-France\Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Although King George VI named his brother the Duke of Windsor, Edward and Simpson spent little time in England after he gave up the crown. The couple mainly lived in France and spent a brief stint in the Bahamas after Churchill appointed him governor of the country — which, at the time, was still a British colony.
Edward did return to England for the funerals of King George VI and their mother Queen Mary, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. But he and Simpson were not invited to an official public ceremony with the royal family until 1967, when a plaque to Queen Mary was unveiled near Buckingham Palace.
Edward would die in Paris five years later. After Simpson died in Paris in 1986, she was buried alongside Edward on the grounds of Windsor Castle — where Prince Harry and Markle would tie the knot 32 years later.
It remains to be seen what will happen to Harry and Markle's relationship with the royal family after the couple announced they will step down as senior royals.
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018. Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty
The prince and Markle sent the media into a frenzy on Wednesday afternoon with their Instagram announcement, revealing they planned to become financially independent and would split their time between the UK and North America.
It was a shocking decision, albeit one that followed months of rumors and speculation of strife within the royal family as Markle and Prince Harry chose to spend Christmas with their son Archie in Canada.
And a statement from the royal communications office, which was obtained by Insider, seemed to indicate that Harry and Markle did not consult with the Queen before making their announcement.
"Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage," the statement read. "We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through."
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told Insider's Mikhaila Friel that the couple's Instagram announcement was a "bombshell."
"It was very irresponsible not to consult the Queen and senior royals, and to act before all this had been carefully planned," he said. "It's going rogue, doing things their way and at a considerable cost to the institution Harry was brought up to serve."
Time will only tell what will happen next in Harry's story, and if it will look anything like that of his late great-granduncle.
Read more:
Here's what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's future could hold now that they're leaving the royal family
How the royal family will change now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are quitting their roles as senior royals
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry explain on their website why they're pulling away from royal life, and it has to do with money and the British press
The Queen reportedly asked Prince Harry not to announce that he and Meghan Markle would 'step back' from royal life
