Prince Harry has been blasted for his “tragic moneymaking scam” shared in his 2023 memoir, titled Spare. The 41-year-old released his bombshell memoir three years after stepping down as a senior working royal, and moving to start a new life with his family in America.
Retired army veteran Col Tim Collins has recently spoken to Forces News about one particular confession in his memoir that led to the royal getting accused of “badly letting the side down”. Harry wrote how he killed 25 people during his time in the military in Afghanistan.
The royal served in the army for 10 years, with the announcement of the end of his service taking place in 2015, the year before he met Meghan Markle.
Speaking to the publication about Harry’s comments, the retired veteran said: “Amongst his assertions is a claim that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan. That’s not how you behave in the army; it’s not how we think.
“He has badly let the side down. We don’t do notches on the rifle butt. We never did.”
He then accused Harry of engaging in a “tragic moneymaking scam to fund the lifestyle he can’t afford”.
The retired veteran added: “I’ve never heard anyone talk about kill counts, it’s crass and frankly cringeworthy. Taking a life is the most serious thing you can ever do on ops, serious people don’t talk it up as a game to shift a few books.”
Harry stepped down from royal life in 2020, alongside his wife, Meghan Markle.
The couple moved to California with Prince Archie later that year, before welcoming Princess Lilibet the following year.
As well as the hardback version, Harry released a paperback version of Spare in 2024 – with a bonus chapter not included.