Royal commentator 'staggered by the machine gun revelations' - in Prince Harry's book

Record ID: 1705323

  • Title: Royal commentator 'staggered by the machine gun revelations' - in Prince Harry's book
  • Date: 6th January 2023
  • Summary: WATFORD, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 6, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER ROYAL CORRESPONDENT AT THE SUN NEWSPAPER, CHARLES RAE, SAYING: ''This is a man who has been complaining about his security at all, and he's now put himself back right into that firing line again by this by this bragging of killing 25 people. Now, soldiers don't do that.'' LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 6, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOURNALIST AND ROYAL COMMENTATOR, EMILY ANDREWS, SAYING: ''My first reaction when I read that Harry was effectively boasting of killing 25 Taliban fighters through six sorties in his helicopter gunship - was one of outrage actually, they may have been enemy fighters, but they're still people. And speaking to military friends and also Ben McBean - who was one of Harry's friends in the army - he said to me, we just don't do that. You might talk about it within your regiment or within your group. You don't talk about it on civvy street. You don't talk about it externally because it's it is in effect, it's work, but it is in effect glorifying death. And that's not good. You just it's just not done.''
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2023 15:01
  • Keywords: Meghan Markle Prince Harry royals spare
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: UK
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Royals
  • Reuters ID: LVA007080506012023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Royal commentators Charles Rae said he was ''staggered by the machine gun revelations and accusations'' in Prince Harry's memoir ''Spare,'' while Emily Andrews is saddened at the break down of Harry and his brother Prince William's relationship.
    In the book, which went on sale in Spain on Thursday (January 5) and of which excerpts were reported by the media, Harry says his brother Prince William knocked him to the floor during an argument over his wife Meghan.
    He also discloses how he and William begged their father - King Charles, not to marry his second wife, Camilla, now Queen Consort, and that he had taken cocaine as a teenager.
    ''This is this is sensational stuff if you're a journalist,'' former royal correspondent for the The Sun, Charles Rae told Reuters on Friday (January 6).
    ''But if you're a member of the royal family, I would have thought you would be holding your head in your hands.'' he said after reading excerpts printed in the press.
    Adding: ''I think there will be more people who will be not happy with Harry and Meghan. I think there will be more calls for him to have his titles removed and I suspect there will be more calls for him not to be invited to the coronation (of King Charles).''
    ''My overwhelming reaction to the extracts that we've read so far is one of sadness,'' said Andrews. ''To see the breakdown of that once so close fraternal relationship is hugely upsetting.''
    The book was due to be published on Jan. 10, but the Guardian newspaper printed leaked extracts overnight, and Reuters and other media have been able to obtain Spanish-language versions which went on sale early in Spain.
    The memoir gives a personal account of events such as Harry's struggles dealing with the death of his mother, Princess Diana and his time in the military - when he said he killed 25 Taliban insurgents while serving in Afghanistan.
    ''This is a man who has been complaining about his security... he's now put himself back right into that firing line again,'' Rae said, adding he thinks it would be dangerous for Harry to attend his father's coronation in May.
    Andrews said she was outraged at Harry's comments on Taliban killings saying ''they may have been enemy fighters, but they're still people". She went on to say she'd spoken to Harry's friend and Royal Marines veteran, Ben McBean, who agreed that it's not the done thing to speak outside of military circles about the details of what happens in combat.
    Both commentators also don't think there is any chance Harry will reconcile with his family in the near future, with Rae saying Harry seems to want an apology that won't come and Andrews pointing out that how can there be any trust when Harry repeats conversations.
    As for the future, Rae says there is ''fatigue'' around Harry and Meghan's story: ''I think once people have seen seen this book ...it's a one trick pony, all they've got is complaints against the royal family.''
    Sentiments echoed by Andrews, who says in the end Harry will come to regret doing this book from both a personal and brand point of view.
    ''How can you build your brand on complaining and whingeing and saying that you were badly treated and effectively building your brand on victimhood? That's not very positive.''
    ''That misery memoir can only... sell so far. It's a law of diminishing returns. What more can Harry tell us? What more is there left to be said?''
    As is usual for the royal family, spokespeople for King Charles and Prince William have declined to comment.
    (Production: Sarah Mills)
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