"Embassy staff in the  Bahraini capital of Manama were also asked whether the  princes had any friends among the country's Shia Muslim majority, which is  behind this week's protests against the minority rule of the Sunni regime.  Prince Nasir, 23, who is  serving in the Bahrain Defence Force, and Prince Khalid, 21, are King Hamad's  sons by his second wife and there have been fears in the region that hardliners  from neighbouring countries might try to influence them."