Happy Birthday: Here's 9 reasons why everyone loves Prince Harry

Fifth-in-line to the British crown, Prince Harry, 31, has grown up with his personal tragedies as well as his blunders as the subject of intense media scrutiny. Though it all he has maintained ahappy-go-lucky attitude that makes him the royal we would want to get a beer with.

Here is what makes Prince Harry so cool:

1. He defied the queen's demands that he shave his beard.

There's no doubt that beards are cool. They're also a source of pride on the operational side of the military.

However, the Queen despises beards and forbids her staff much less her grandson from sporting them, US Weekly reports. Harry ignored the Queen's order and sported his beard at Christmas morning service. He shaved his beard a good month later — it had to go anyway, since he is in the armed  services.

2. He fought the Taliban from the ground ...

Prince Harry, known as Captain Wales in the army, began his military career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2005.

Harry was first certified as a tank commander and assigned to a cavalry regiment. Later, he deployed to Helmand Afghanistan as a forward observer with British ground units where he engaged in combat operations against the Taliban.

3. ... And also from the air.

Not satisfied, upon his return he went into helicopter pilot training.

In 2009 he began a two-and-a-half year training course to become a fully operational, full-time Army Air Corps helicopter pilot. He completed a 20-week deployment in Afghanistan as a co-pilot gunner on an Apache attack helicopter and since then has flown missions in the U.K. 

Having deployed twice and seen combat both times, Harry has taken a new role as a staff officer at HQ London District.

4. He is a hardcore polar adventurer.

Prince Harry spent 4 weeks on an expedition to the North Pole in 2011 to raise awareness for wounded servicemen and women.

He covered 200 miles of the frozen Arctic Ocean by foot in minus 60 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. He then conquered a trek to the South Pole two years later.

5. He parties like Frank Sinatra and hangs out with the most unexpected folks.

After a series of pot smoking and underage drinking episodes, Prince Harry's mischievous streak landed him in a London rehabilitation center for a day.

Another royal uproar occurred whenl