Prince Harry has come under fire from senior British security and military figures after he claimed in his autobiography, Spare, that he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving with the British Army in Afghanistan.
According to The Daily Telegraph, which has obtained a copy of the Spanish version of the book ahead of the official release on Tuesday, January 10, Harry writes: “My number is 25. It's not a number that fills me with joy, but it doesn't embarrass me either .”
In another paragraph, he is quoted as describing Taliban insurgents as "chess pieces" being removed from the board rather than people.
The prince's comments were sharply criticized by members of the military community, with senior figures saying they could jeopardize his security and give the British military a bad name.
Former UK national security adviser Kim Darroch told Sky News she would have advised Harry not to make statements. Colonel Richard Kemp said the comments "tarnished" his reputation and that of the British military.
"The other problem I found with his comments was that he made the British Army seem like they basically trained him and other soldiers to see the enemy as less than human, like chess pieces on a board to t 'was removed, which is not the case. It's the opposite," he added.
The ruling Taliban, who returned to power in 2021 after two decades, responded angrily to Harry's comments. "Mr. Harry! Those you killed were not chess pieces, they were people; they had families waiting for their return," said a member of the Taliban group.
Former marine Ben McBean, who Harry served alongside in Afghanistan, tweeted on Thursday: "I love you Prince Harry but you need to shut up! You need to ask yourself about the people you are hanging out with. If they were people well, someone would have told you to stop by now."
Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years. His book "Spare" has again fueled tensions in the kingdom.
