Prince Harry to join North Pole trek with wounded veterans

Prince Harry hopes to join four wounded British army veterans as they trek to the North Pole this spring to raise money for injured soldiers.

The 200-mile trek across the polar ice cap will support the charity Walking with the Wounded, which rehabilitates injured troops.

Prince Harry, who is third in line to the British throne, an army lieutenant who has served in Afghanistan and patron to the charity, is also expected to be the best man at his brother William's wedding to Kate Middleton in London on April 29. The trek, which leaves March 23, would not reach the North Pole until April 25 or 26, AFP reports. The timing might therefore pose a problem for the young prince. But he hopes to make it happen.

"This extraordinary expedition will raise awareness of the debt this country owes to those it sends off to fight — only for them to return wounded and scarred, physically and emotionally," Prince Harry told BBC News.

"The debt extends beyond immediate medical care and short-term rehabilitation. These men and women have given so much. We must recognize their sacrifice, be thankful, and, so far as we can ever, repay them for it."

The four veterans were chosen from 100 applicants. Two of them are amputees, a third has a paralyzed right arm and the fourth has a fractured back, reports BBC News.

The team will have to battle extreme weather conditions and possibly even polar bear attacks.

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