Story from BBC news http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7822574.stm

 

Prince's apology for racist term

 

Prince Harry has apologised for using offensive language to describe a Pakistani member of his army platoon.

 

The News of the World has published a video diary in which the prince calls one of his then Sandhurst colleagues a "**k*" in his commentary.

 

St James's Palace said he had used the term three years ago as a nickname about a friend and without any malice.

 

The prince filmed parts of the video and in another clip, he is heard calling another cadet a "raghead".

 

The prince had to apologise in 2005 for wearing a swastika armband to a party, which offended many Jewish people

 

The video obtained by the News of the World shows Harry while still an officer cadet at Sandhurst military academy.

 

It was filmed in front of other cadets at an airport departure lounge as they waited for a flight to Cyprus to go on manoeuvres.

 

The newspaper said the prince, who is third in line to the Throne, had called the soldier "our little **k* friend".

 

'Extremely sorry'

 

Meanwhile, during a faked call to the Queen, as the Commander in Chief of the British Army, the prince says: "Granny I've got to go, send my love to the Corgis and Grandpa."

 

He finishes saying: "I've got to go, got to go, bye. God Save You ... yeah, that's great."

 

A statement from St James's Palace, with regards the term "**k*", said: "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause.

"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.

 

"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."

 

The statement continued: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taleban or Iraqi insurgent."

 

A man told BBC Radio Five Live the cadet concerned was his nephew, Ahmed Raza Khan, from Pakistan, who served with Prince Harry at Sandhurst for one year as a Commonwealth cadet.

 

Iftikhar Raja said his nephew, now a captain in the Pakistani army, would have risen above such terms and had not mentioned the incident to his family.

 

Mr Raja said: "At no time he told us that he was called **k* or he was a good friend of Prince Harry, I mean, although they served together that is true.

 

A statement from St James's Palace, with regards the term "**k*", said: "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause.

"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.

 

"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."

 

The statement continued: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taleban or Iraqi insurgent."

 

A man told BBC Radio Five Live the cadet concerned was his nephew, Ahmed Raza Khan, from Pakistan, who served with Prince Harry at Sandhurst for one year as a Commonwealth cadet.

 

Iftikhar Raja said his nephew, now a captain in the Pakistani army, would have risen above such terms and had not mentioned the incident to his family.

 

Mr Raja said: "At no time he told us that he was called **k* or he was a good friend of Prince Harry, I mean, although they served together that is true.

 

A statement from St James's Palace, with regards the term "**k*", said: "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause.

"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.

 

"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."

 

The statement continued: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taleban or Iraqi insurgent."

 

A man told BBC Radio Five Live the cadet concerned was his nephew, Ahmed Raza Khan, from Pakistan, who served with Prince Harry at Sandhurst for one year as a Commonwealth cadet.

 

Iftikhar Raja said his nephew, now a captain in the Pakistani army, would have risen above such terms and had not mentioned the incident to his family.

 

Mr Raja said: "At no time he told us that he was called **k* or he was a good friend of Prince Harry, I mean, although they served together that is true.

 

"But I myself am a British subject, I am proud to be British and if someone called me Pakistani I would be proud to be called that, but **k* is definitely a derogatory remark."

 

He added: "We expect better from our Royal Family on whom we spend millions and millions of pounds for training and schooling."

 

Captain Ahmed Raza Khan graduated with Harry from Sandhurst in 2006 receiving a special award from the Queen for being the best overseas officer cadet.

 

'Disturbing allegations'

 

BBC royal correspondent Daniela Relph said this was an extremely embarrassing episode for the prince and the Royal Family.

 

She said the emergence of the three-year-old video was "unfortunate timing" for Harry, whose image had greatly improved since he served in Afghanistan last year.

 

"That was a real step up for him, a real sense of maturity that people could see," she said.

 

She added that as a member of the Royal Family, Prince Harry was held to a certain standard, and everything he said and did was scrutinised "regardless of whether it was banter among colleagues or something that was being used by lots of other people he was working with".

 

The Army has been trying to recruit soldiers from ethnic minority backgrounds as these are currently under-represented in the services.

 

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Neither the Army nor the Armed Forces tolerates inappropriate behaviour in any shape or form.

 

"The Army takes all allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and all substantive allegations are investigated.

 

"We are not aware of any complaint having been made by the individual. Bullying and racism are not endemic in the Armed Forces."

 

A spokeswoman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "These appear to be disturbing allegations and we will be asking the MoD to see the evidence, share that evidence with us and their plans for dealing with it.

 

"We will then consider what further action might be necessary."

 

Your views?

 

My opinion - he is a complete utter tw@t for using that term. It's a racist word.

I've never understood how it's racist; bearing in mind the context it's used. It's like...what do you call someone from Poland? A Pole. Okay, probably a bad analogy, but I swear Pakistan is pretty much the only place that if you shorten it everyone automatically deems it racist.

 

He should know better being he's a royal and all that jazz, but he's a young guy. If I was a £1 for the amount of guys in my Uni joking around, saying words like that to each other (and the N word etcetc), I'd probably be a millionaire.

 

This sums it all up for me, tbh:

 

"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.

 

"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."

If I was a £1 for the amount of guys in my Uni joking around, saying words like that to each other (and the N word etcetc), I'd probably be a millionaire.

 

I've never heard anyone use that term to each other. I'd be really shocked if they did.

I've never heard anyone use that term to each other. I'd be really shocked if they did.

Really?! :o

 

It's common between friends to say things like this. There's never any malice or hurt intended and it's usually just part of two-way banter. I very much doubt that Prince Harry intended to offend.

I have never understood why the P word is offensive too, its no different to calling someone from Australia an Aussie, if Harry had said "my aussie mate" it wouldn't have even made page 66 let alone page 1

 

I just don't get what is so offensive about the P word

 

As for the N word I never use it, well I do towards Hamilton during races as that is like letting off steam and de-stressing over him but I don't use the N word among friends and so on

Really?! :o

 

It's common between friends to say things like this. There's never any malice or hurt intended and it's usually just part of two-way banter. I very much doubt that Prince Harry intended to offend.

 

Erm no. It's not common at all. I can't see friends use this on each other.

As for the N word I never use it, well I do towards Hamilton during races as that is like letting off steam and de-stressing over him but I don't use the N word among friends and so on

CRRAAAIIIGG!

 

 

Erm no. It's not common at all. I can't see friends use this on each other.

Erm yes. It really is common. :mellow:

CRRAAAIIIGG!

 

Doesn't make me a racist though Kate I just use it merely to let off steam, I have shouted at the screen a few times "crash you n***er c**t" and stuff like that but that is just heat of the moment stuff, am not a racist, I support Spurs that has the highest proportion of black players in the premiership probably, I have afro carribean friends, one of my biggest work clients is afro carribean, shouting abuse at Hamilton in the heat of the moment doeesn't make someone a racist

Erm yes. It really is common. :mellow:

 

Erm no it's not common at all. Maybe people who do use it on each other don't have any sense of intelligence just like Prince Harry and the girl from Big Bro.

But why would you shout that though, Craig!? :o Sort it out lol. Like, if someone who was white was being a rubbish driver (or whatever happens in these Grand Prix things); would you be shouting "crash you honkey c**t?" etc? :/

Erm no it's not common at all. Maybe people who do use it on each other don't have any sense of intelligence just like Prince Harry and the girl from Big Bro.

 

So...the majority of the people in the world don't have any sense of intelligence, basically? :/.

If you've never heard those kind of words being used in that context you must have been brought up wrapped in cotton wool or something lol.

 

 

Erm no it's not common at all. Maybe people who do use it on each other don't have any sense of intelligence just like Prince Harry and the girl from Big Bro.

On what basis do you say it's not common? Because you have never heard it? Well then maybe you've lived a very sheltered life.

 

It most definitely IS common. Chemical Halo says it happens between students, and I can vouch for her. It certainly does. You go to uni, you move away from home and you meet people from all over the country, all over the world even. You become friends and you play on stereotypes. There's name calling but everyone knows it's just a bit of harmless banter and pisstaking. It's extremely rare that it'll get heated or go very far, but one the VERY rare occasion it does people soon kiss and make up.

My opinion - he is a complete utter tw@t for using that term. It's a racist word.

It's not racist though. :lol:

 

It's the term they use to call each other in Pakistan, in the same sence that everyone in the UK calls each other 'Brits'.

On what basis do you say it's not common? Because you have never heard it? Well then maybe you've lived a very sheltered life.

 

It most definitely IS common. Chemical Halo says it happens between students, and I can vouch for her. It certainly does. You go to uni, you move away from home and you meet people from all over the country, all over the world even. You become friends and you play on stereotypes. There's name calling but everyone knows it's just a bit of harmless banter and pisstaking. It's extremely rare that it'll get heated or go very far, but one the VERY rare occasion it does people soon kiss and make up.

 

oh i lived a sheltered life now and i take you you know everything that has happened on the street just because you go to university or wherever and you lived life. why don't you try living where I live and the see many asian people and black people call each derogatory names.

 

I know a lot of asians and they would be disgusted if I go up to them and say "hey p... what's up"

Edited January 11, 200916 yr by Oo La La

It's not racist though. :lol:

 

It's the term they use to call each other in Pakistan, in the same sence that everyone in the UK calls each other 'Brits'.

 

Yes but it's a known racist term especially in this country. Pakistan people refer to themselves as Pakistani's. If Pakistani people in this country get shouted at "p..." in street by a group of white gangs - are you saying that ain't racist.

 

As for Prince Harry he is a tw@t for filiming himself using that word.

Erm no it's not common at all. Maybe people who do use it on each other don't have any sense of intelligence just like Prince Harry and the girl from Big Bro.

It is VERY common :/ I have friends (who DO have intelligence) who refer to each other as negroes/honkeys as banter all the time. Tis all very casual and all that ;o

I know a lot of asians and they would be disgusted if I go up to them and say "hey p... what's up"

 

people in this country get shouted at "p..." in street by a group of white gangs - are you saying that ain't racist.

 

As for Prince Harry he is a tw@t for filiming himself using that word.

 

Of course that is, but nobody's even mentioned the use of words like that in THAT context in this thread...

Obviously it's not okay to just bellow in a lairy manner words like that at randomers on the street; but that's not the case with the article you've posted. It quite clearly says in that article that he's good friends with him or whatever - as many people have already written in this thread, it wasn't said with malice or anything. It depends basically if you know the person well enough to know if they're going to take offense, or take it in the way it was intended ie joke-y banter; and obviously Prince Harry's friend was in the latter.

 

The end.

 

I've never understood how it's racist; bearing in mind the context it's used. It's like...what do you call someone from Poland? A Pole. Okay, probably a bad analogy, but I swear Pakistan is pretty much the only place that if you shorten it everyone automatically deems it racist.

 

He should know better being he's a royal and all that jazz, but he's a young guy. If I was a £1 for the amount of guys in my Uni joking around, saying words like that to each other (and the N word etcetc), I'd probably be a millionaire.

 

This sums it all up for me, tbh:

 

I completely agree - that should be the end of it. He quite obviously didn't mean to cause offence but some people are just looking for reasons to catch him out and make him seem like 'another racist royal'.

 

This is yet another example of the media creating a storm in a teacup