Prince Harry's regiment will be deployed to Iraq, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.
His regiment, the Blues and Royals, has been told it will serve in Iraq as part of the latest deployments.
The prince will be the first senior royal to serve on the front line since Prince Andrew in the Falklands in 1982.
Defence Secretary Des Browne is expected to give more details on the deployment in a written statement to the Commons later.
Earlier, the MoD declined to confirm rotation details, as have Downing Street and Clarence House.
Reconnaissance
Prince Harry graduated from Sandhurst in April last year and qualified as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader in October.
MILITARY ROYALS
Duke of Edinburgh served in the Royal Navy during World War II
Prince of Wales obtained RAF wings, joined the navy in 1971
and now hold ceremonial posts in the Army, Royal Navy and RAF
Prince Andrew saw active service during the Falklands War
Prince Edward had a brief stint with the Royal Marines
Known to colleagues as Troop Commander Wales, he is able to lead 11 men carrying out reconnaissance work using four light armoured Scimitar tanks. Such units act as the Army's "eyes and ears".
It comes after Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs that 1,600 British troops would return from Iraq within the next few months.
He said the 7,100 serving troops in the south of Iraq around Basra would be cut to 5,500 soon, with hopes that 500 more will leave by late summer.
Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle, was a helicopter pilot in the Falklands conflict.
First published on bbc website|