Posted on 01/12/2005 5:54:55 PM PST by wagglebee
Prince Harry has apologised after being pictured on the front page of The Sun in a Nazi uniform which he wore to a fancy dress party.
The newspaper showed the Prince, with a cigarette and drink in hand, wearing a swastika armband.
The 20-year-old said: "I am very sorry if I caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone."
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, he added: "It was a poor choice of costume and I apologise."
On Harry's shirt collar was the badge of Wehrmacht - the German defence force.
The Prince was at a fancy dress party in West Littleton, Wiltshire last Saturday for the 22nd birthday party of his friend Harry Meade.
The 250-guest party had a native and colonial theme.
Prince William was reportedly present dressed in lion and leopard skin print top and tight black leggings.
Doug Henderson, Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North and a former armed forces minister, said Prince Harry should not now be allowed to become a British Army officer.
"After the revelations this evening I don't think this young man is suitable for Sandhurst," he said.
The Sun said Harry's outfit of beige shirt and trousers and Nazi insignia which was the "talk of party guests".
However, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, a spokesman for the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, said the incident should not be blown out of proportion
"The fact that the palace has issued an apology indicates that this was a mistake by the Prince," he said
"But having being given, the apology should now be accepted."
A spokesman for the Board Of Deputies Of British Jews said: "The board is pleased that he's apologised for the incident.
"It was clearly in bad taste, especially in the run up to holocaust memorial day on the 27th of this month, which the Royal Family will be taking a leading role in commemorating."
It is the latest in a long catalogue of unsavoury incidents involving the Prince. Last year he was pictured attacking a photographer outside a nightclub. There were also accusations that he cheated in exams to get into Sandhurst.
Revelations about Harry's use of soft drugs, alcohol and cigarettes have also hit the headlines.
He looks like skin and bones. Is the alcohol and drug use so bad now that he's consuming nothing else?
I certainly can't see this as a harmless "phase." My dad can't even stand the color of Airedale puppies until they grow into their adult colors because it reminds him of the Nazis who came in the night to take his Dad away.
Holocaust survivors are still alive. England saved many of them and the country should be ashamed of this little twit who thought it good form to go out dressed like that. Diana had a good sense of other people's feelings and she would be ashamed of her little boy.
I am horrified. I can only presume he's impersonating his great-great uncle Edward. (Edward VIII)
Bad move, Harry. Do learn to be invisible and to shut up.
Regards, Ivan
My question is where the heck did he get such a shirt? I would hope it would take some unique purchasing route to acquire a symbol that caused so much pain in their own streets (V-2 rockets).
This is beyond dumb - it's revealing a dirty truth about Prince Harry.
Somebody probably told him,but he ignored the admonition.Thank GOD Harry is the second son and may GOD keep Wills healthy and grant him a long life.
His "costume" had absolutely NOTHING whatsoever to do with the theme of the fancy dress party. Harry has the IQ and sensibilities of a rock.
That's actually a pretty good question. What the heck was whoever got this shirt for him thinking? "Oh, it'll be fine if the second-in-line to the throne dresses up like a member of the Brownshirts."
What dumbass would sell this to begin with?
Not that Heil Harry was all that smart or anything, but wasn't there a grownup involved SOMEWHERE with this decision?
May I ask why? It seems that you hate royalty. However, it is not our government, Is it? If most of the British people want the royal family to be there, if only as a figurehead with limited power; what's your problem? If you're a British person who would rather not have a monarchy anymore; I could understand your attitude to some extent. After all I'm not a British citizen who has to live under a monarchy.
But if you're an American, the government in GB doesn't affect you, does it? It seems the people of Britain made their choice to stick with a monarchy, but they have to live with it. If they can't, they can leave GB, and live elsewhere, can't they?
Frankly, I wouldn't have any other than what we've got here. However, I'd take a constitutional monarchy with limited power like Great Britain has than a tyrannical, violent, oppressive one, wouldn't you?
Ah but you see I am a British person (well Scottish). I regard the whole sick royalist fantasy as an elitist and soporific soap opera. It has played an enormous part in perpetuating the existence of the destructive social class obsession in the UK. An idea which you guys, despite some debate at the time, had the good sense never to take up.
Oh, and I resent the idea of being a "subject" of anyone, much less a shower of inbred, chinless German refugees of questionable intellect.
No kidding! For all we know, the prince could have been making a satirical statement. Call it poor taste, but I don't understand the uproar. I doubt this would have even made the news had Harry dressed up as a murderous viking, hun, Spanish conquistador or Soviet soldier. I guess it all depends on how much significance has been assigned to certain symbols.
I take interest from the fact that when Lady Di and Charles were married I had two British houseguests. One was glued to the television and could not get enough of the ceremony. The other one yelled at him the whole time for watching that "rubbish".
Harry is a very troubled young man. I wonder if he has forgotten that his own family name was changed to Windsor rather than the German name they'd held for hundereds of years after WWI.
More proof of contamination in the gene pool.
"I am very sorry if I caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone" (Harry)
One more thing: Why is it that people always seem to say they apologise "IF I offended"? Come on. No if about it. Admit it. I did offend. That's my say.
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.
It sure isn't the way it was when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were around. If she'd been around, I'm sure Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother would have done the British Royal equivalent of taking Harry out behind the woodshed. Good lady, the Queen Mother, she learned to shoot and was ready to use her pistol if the Nazis had parachuted into London. That heathen Hitler paid her the ultimate compliment by calling her the most dangerous woman in the world.
Oh I wouldn't say that, sometimes a check fails to show that the article has already been posted.
Also your referenced story comes from the BBC, while his comes from Sky.Com
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.