Ex-MP says Prince William has ‘lost the plot’ for letting George skip forces

Prince William could let George skip military service (Image: Getty) Former MP Anne Widdecombe says Prince William has “lost the plot” after it emerged he would not expect Prince George to complete military service before taking the throne. Reports suggest Prince William could let the young royal break a centuries old tradition by not serving in the armed forces. Although a YouGov poll recently found a third of Brits believe the young royals should complete military service. According to the reports, William will let George, who is due to celebrate his tenth birthday soon, decide whether or not he wants to complete active service. The reason behind the decision could be seen as a “strategic repositioning of the monarchy”, although this remains unclear. Both William and his brother Prince Harry are well known to have completed years in the forces. With William having also flown for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Speaking on GB News, Anne Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP, said the armed forces personell needed to feel as though the serving King or Queen was “one of them”. She said: “I think it’s insane. And if that really is what William has decided, and we’ve only had one report, then he’s lost the plot. “I mean there’s a very good reason why heirs to the throne serve in the armed services. It is not because there is some fluffy tradition. “It is because the armed services take their oath of allegiance to the monarch. And it is the Monarch who signs off the order for war. “And therefore when they take that oath of loyalty to the monarch, they need to feel that he or she is one of them. And they can’t feel that if that monarch has never ever been in the armed services.” Prince George (Image: Getty) Presenter Dan Wootton however highlighted Prince Edward, the King’s brother, who completed part of a 12-month training course with the Royal Marines before dropping out to carve a career in theatre. He added: “He was not made for that. It didn’t suit the kind of guy he was.” To which Widdecombe responded: “It didn’t matter in Prince Edward’s case because he was umpteen down the line at that point. “This is different, this is the person to who the armed services will pledge allegiance. If he can’t be bothered to serve, is to scared to serve, or doesn’t really think it will be terribly congenial to serve, that is not going to work.”