Prince Harry’s Memoir Sparks Security Concerns Over Army Revelations

Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, has come under scrutiny for a “totally unwise” revelation that could have serious consequences for his security, according to a former royal protection officer, according to the Express. In the book, Harry disclosed his experience in the Army, where he claimed to have killed more than two dozen Taliban fighters during his time in Afghanistan.

In his memoir, Harry wrote, “Most soldiers can’t tell you precisely how much death is on their ledger. In battle conditions, there’s often a great deal of indiscriminate firing. But in the age of Apaches and laptops, everything I did in the course of two combat tours was recorded, and time-stamped. I could always say precisely how many enemy combatants I’d killed.”

He added: “Twenty-five. It wasn’t a number that gave me any satisfaction. But neither was it a number that made me feel ashamed.”

Further reflecting on the dehumanizing nature of war, Harry noted: “While in the heat and fog of combat, I didn’t think of those twenty-five as people. You can’t kill people if you think of them as people. You can’t really harm people if you think of them as people.”

However, his disclosure of the number of Taliban fighters he killed has raised concerns from experts. Dai Davies, a former Head of Royal Protection and Divisional Commander in the Metropolitan Police, criticized Harry’s decision to share such personal and sensitive information, as reported by the Mail Online. Speaking in the new German documentary Harry – The Lost Prince, Davies stated: “In his book, Spare, for him to disclose, as he did, that he had killed a number of Taliban was, in my opinion, totally unwise, because I was aware, as indeed he was, that the Taliban and various groups had put a price on his head.”

Davies argued that Harry’s openness about his military actions could make him a target for extremist groups. “And really, I think that price still remains, which could form a basis for him saying, well, I need security,” Davies added. “If you open your big mouth, as he has collectively, that book, not just on that, but given away all kinds of secrets, then it’s not surprising that some people might regard you as a potential target.”

The revelation comes amid Harry’s ongoing legal battle with the UK Government over his security arrangements. The Duke has contested the Home Office’s 2020 decision to reduce his protection when he returns to the UK. In February, a High Court judge ruled against him, stating there had been no unlawfulness in the decision. However, Harry is expected to appeal the ruling in April.