The third-in-line to the British throne was videotaped referring to a fellow soldier as "our little Paki friend" while training at the Sandhurst military academy. In the UK, "Paki" is considered a serious derogatory term against Muslims, especially since there are many who live in Britain.
In the video, which was released by British tabloid News of the World, Harry also calls another soldier a "raghead" when he was wearing a camouflage veil.
The racial slurs have been condemned by many, including senior members of the British government. MP David Cameron called Harry's remarks "completely unacceptable" and Liberal Democrat leader David Clegg believed they would cause "considerable offense".
Harry apologized last night through a statement from St. James Palace. The statement read:
"Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause. However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon. There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."This wouldn't be the first time Harry was involved in a racist scandal. In 2005, the prince stunned the world by wearing a Nazi soldier outfit for a costume party. The pictures, released by The Sun, sparked massive outrage and Harry apologized.
Considering the heavy backlash that followed that blunder, which was worse in my opinion, I simply don't understand WHY Harry would videotape himself doing something racist. Sure, we've all said things we regret later, but there is a certain level of responsibility involved when there is a good chance you will become the King of England. Quite frankly, I'm starting to question Harry's level of compassion, depth perception, and even his intelligence. He is asuredly lacking his mother's grace.
Hopefully, the prince can learn from this blunder.
You can watch the video below:
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