Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Danny Martindale/WireImage
Prince Harryclaims that his brotherPrince Williamand his sister-in-lawKate Middletonencouraged him to wear a Nazi uniform to a costume party in 2005.
The Duke of Sussex, 38, makes the allegation in his upcoming memoirSpare, which comes out Jan. 10,Page Sixreported Wednesday.
According to the outlet,Prince Harrywrites that the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 40, “howled with laughter” when they saw him in the outfit in 2005. Harry was 20 at the time, and the photo of him in a military shirt and red swastika armband holding a drink and a cigarette made headlines around the world.
According toPage Six, Harry claims inSparethat he debated between dressing as a Nazi or a pilot for the “Native and Colonial”-themed costume party.Prince Williamalso attended, dressed as a lion.
Prince Harry Wears a Nazi Costume in 2005.Stephen Chernin/Getty
“I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said,” Harry writes, saying he brought the costume home and tried it on. “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”
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Prince Harryhas previously expressed deep remorse over the offensive outfit, opening the incident in theHarry & Meghandocuseries, which premiered on Netflix in December 2022.
Describing the decision as “one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” the Duke of Sussex said he “felt so ashamed afterward.”
“All I wanted to do was make it right,” he added. And while he “could’ve just ignored it and probably made the same mistakes over and over again,” he learned from the experience.
Prince Harry.Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty
The royal also addressed the idea of “unconscious bias” in his family, noting that while “it’s actually no one’s fault,” that doesn’t absolve one of responsibility.
“Once it’s been pointed out or identified within yourself you then need to make it right,” he said. “It’s education, it’s awareness and it’s a constant work in progress for everyone ― including me.”
Prince Harrywasphotographed wearing a Nazi soldier’s uniformtwo weeks before the 60th anniversary of theliberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The book jacket of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’.PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE
After the incident, he apologized in a statement, saying, “I am very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume, and I apologize.”
TheBoard of Deputies of British Jewssaid at the time thatit was “pleased that [Harry has] apologizedfor … his ill-judged actions.”
source: people.com
