Prince Harry has said the “most dangerous lie” about his explosive memoir Spare was that he boasted about killing 25 Taliban fighters while serving in Afghanistan.
The controversial book, released on Tuesday, sparked an uproar after it was revealed duke of sussex Participated in “taking human life”.
“So, my number is 25. It’s not a number that pleases me, but it doesn’t embarrass me either,” he wrote.
The prince said he didn’t think of them as “human beings” but “pawns” taken from the chessboard.
The 38-year-old told Stephen Colbert’s Late Show that it was “painful and challenging” to watch people’s reactions after his book was leaked prematurely.
“Without a doubt, the most dangerous lie they tell is that I somehow bragged about the number of people I killed in Afghanistan,” he said.
He hinted that his words were taken out of context in the book, before saying: “I should say I’d be mad if I heard someone brag about that sort of thing. But it’s a lie.
“Hopefully now that the book is out, people will be able to see the context, and it’s — they can get away with it being really disturbing and very disturbing.
“Because they have context. It’s not like ‘here’s just one line’ – they have the whole section and they tear it up and say ‘here it is, he’s bragging about this’.
“As you say, it’s dangerous when you’ve read it and hope everyone else will have the chance to read it.
“My words are not dangerous, but the spin of my words is.”
Image: CBS via AP
Admiral Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, said it was “very stupid” for the Duke to provide details of the Taliban kill.
The retired admiral told the Sunday Mirror that the Invictus Games, founded by Harry and scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf, Germany this year, would have “serious security concerns” due to his direct link to Harry.
read more:
Cheeky bookshop displays Prince Harry’s backup book and How to Kill Your Family
All the celebrities Prince Harry mentions in ‘Backup’ – from the Spice Girls to Courteney Cox and supermodels
The midnight queue for Prince Harry’s memoir hits shelves – here’s why people are buying it
Lord West added that global multi-sport events for wounded, wounded and sick servicemen and women would be a prime target for those seeking revenge.
Meanwhile, senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani tweeted that the militants Harry killed in Afghanistan were “Not pawns, they are people”.
Harry told Colbert that he was forced to discuss his killing in hopes of reducing veteran suicides.
“I chose to share it because I’ve spent almost 20 years working with veterans around the world and I think the most important thing is to be honest and give others the space to share without shame their experiences,” he said.
Harry’s pre-order “already half price”
“My whole goal, I’m trying to share this detail, is to reduce the number of suicides.
Elsewhere in the interview, Harry admitted to watching The Crown, a hit Netflix historical series about Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and royal family.
“You must have seen some The Crown, right?” Colbert asked.
“Yes, actually, I’ve seen the crown,” said Harry. “Older stuff and newer stuff.”
Asked whether he fact-checked the Netflix show, the prince quipped, “Yes, I did. That’s another reason why it’s so important to be right about history, by the way.”
No matter where you get the podcast, you can click to subscribe to Sky News Daily
Harry’s interview with Colbert marks the end of his autobiographical print job, which has become The Fastest-Selling Non-Fiction Books of All Timerecorded 400,000 copies in hardcover, eBook and audio formats on its first day of publication.
Prince made out of Spare’s 550+ pages headline-dominated statement They included accusing William of attacking him personally and making fun of his panic attacks, saying King Charles put his own interests ahead of Harry’s and calling Camilla a “villain” and “dangerous person” in an ABC interview.
But as a well-connected man, the book is also packed with celebrity cameos, From Spice Girls to Courteney Cox.