General Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the British army, announced that Prince Harry will not be sent to Iraq as planned. "Following a visit to Iraq last week I discovered a number of threats relating directly to Prince Harry and those around him and I am not prepared to export those risks," the general said in a statement.

"I know Prince Harry will be extremely disappointed and his soldiers will miss his presence in Iraq," Dannatt added.

A statement from Clarence House, official residence of Harry's father Prince Charles, said: "Prince Harry is very disappointed that he will not be able to go to Iraq with his troop on this deployment as he had hoped.

"He fully understands and accepts General Dannatt's difficult decision and remains committed to his Army career. Prince Harry's thoughts are with his troop and the rest of the battle group in Iraq."

Prince Harry, 22, had been due to be deployed in Basra, in southern Iraq, with his Blues and Royals regiment in the coming weeks as part of the latest British troop rotation.

Lately, the initiative of Ministry of Defence has come under heavy criticism. David Stancliffe, the Anglican bishop of Salisbury, has criticized the plan to send Harry to Iraq: the prince was being used as a "political pawn," and the royal family should stay out of the debate on the Iraq war, he told The Sunday Times.