We often think of Prince William as a future king, but back in 2008, he was just a few days into a military secondment when he found himself in the middle of a high-stakes international drug bust.
That summer, the then-26-year-old royal was serving with the Royal Navy as part of a brief attachment—and ended up helping stop a cocaine shipment worth tens of millions.
Catching Cocaine Smugglers in the Atlantic
It happened in July 2008, just days after Prince William joined HMS Iron Duke on June 24.
He was one of six Royal Navy personnel who helped intercept a suspicious vessel northeast of Barbados in the Atlantic Ocean.
Their target? A speedboat carrying a massive 900 kilograms of cocaine—worth about £40 million at the time.
Today, that would be closer to £60 million.
William was aboard a Lynx helicopter during the operation, working with a small crew that included a pilot and a sniper.
Their job was to track drug-trafficking boats trying to shuttle narcotics from South America to West Africa or Europe.
Once the suspect boat was identified, the crew gave the order to stop.
U.S. Coast Guard officers, who were operating from the British frigate HMS Iron Duke, then boarded the vessel and detained the smugglers.
A Quick Impact in Just Days
Commander Mark Newland, in charge of HMS Iron Duke, was thrilled with how things played out.
Speaking to The Guardian at the time, he said, “This is a fantastic start to HMS Iron Duke’s North Atlantic deployment.”
He noted that disrupting the flow of drugs just four days into their mission highlighted the Royal Navy’s real-world impact in the region.
According to royal biographer Penny Junor, the experience offered William not just thrills, but real exposure to the dangers of naval operations.
The mission was one of the most action-packed moments of his time at sea, and he ended up extending his stint in the Navy longer than originally planned before returning to the Royal Air Force.
Years Later, Still a Memorable Moment
More than a decade later, the event was still fresh in William’s mind.
In 2020, he mentioned it during a virtual Remembrance Day conversation with Leading Physical Trainer Damon Bell, who was then serving on HMS Montrose in the Gulf.
Bell joked about Montrose’s own £20 million drug bust in the Middle East—about half the value of William’s 2008 operation.
William laughed and replied, “I wasn’t going to bring that up, Damon, but I am glad it’s still being talked about.”
William’s Military Journey: From Cadet to Pilot
Prince William’s military life began in 2006 when he enrolled at Sandhurst as an officer cadet.
Although there was discussion about him serving in a war zone, his royal status made such a move too risky.
Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly supportive of him seeing active duty, but security concerns prevailed.
Instead, William served in the RAF and Royal Navy in supporting roles.
These roles allowed him to participate in real operations—like the 2008 drug bust—without the heightened risks of the battlefield.
Harry Took a Different Path: Boots on the Ground in Afghanistan
While William was kept from direct combat, Prince Harry, known during service as “Captain Wales,” did see action.
His first deployment came in 2007, when he served in Afghanistan’s Helmand province as a forward air controller.
That mission ended early after the media accidentally broke a news embargo.
Harry returned in 2012 for a second, more publicized tour, where he served as a co-pilot gunner in an Apache attack helicopter.
This time, he flew over 100 missions and logged more than 2,500 flight hours.
A Controversial Confession in Spare
In his memoir Spare, Harry revealed that he killed 25 Taliban fighters during that second deployment.
His description was striking: he wrote that he viewed those killed as “chess pieces removed from the board,” rather than individuals.
His comments sparked significant debate, particularly because most soldiers avoid quantifying kills publicly.
But Harry explained that the Apache’s technology made it possible to keep a precise count.
His role included not only combat but also escort duties and surveillance, working alongside Afghan and international forces to support operations in Helmand.
What’s Next for the Royal Veterans?
Both princes walked very different military paths—William in supporting, high-tech roles with occasional excitement, and Harry in frontline combat.
Their experiences shaped them, publicly and privately, and continue to influence how they serve in their royal and charitable roles today.
So what’s next for the future king and his brother-turned-author?
That remains to be seen—but their time in uniform certainly left a lasting impression, both on them and on those who served beside them.