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Royal commentator apologizes to Prince Harry over 2009 racist slur incident

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Key Points
  • Robert Jobson apologized to Prince Harry for how he addressed him.
  • Prince Harry used a racist slur in 2009 and later explained his ignorance in his memoir.
  • The aftermath involved official statements and Prince Harry's charitable intentions.

Prince Harry accused Robert Jobson of having a 'secret camera' capturing him at the time of the incident, according to multiple reports. According to Daily Express - Royal, Robert Jobson described meeting Prince Harry on another occasion on a plane flying from New Zealand, where he had just broken the story that the prince was quitting the Army. Jobson added that Prince Harry was always a bit chippy with him, but he's okay.

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry addressed his comment, writing that he didn't know the slur was an insult and had heard lots of people use that word when he was growing up. He wrote that he was 21, had grown up isolated from the real world and surrounded by privileges, and believed that word was like saying 'Yankee' and innocuous. Following the incident, Prince Harry's father's office decided to release a statement, though its exact content remains unknown.

I did the story about him when I was on the News of the World about him making a racist comment, it was a big splash at the time, against one of his Army colleagues when he was a cadet and he said to me, 'Where's your secret camera?'

Robert Jobson, Royal commentator and author

Prince Harry claimed he wanted to release his own statement but was advised against it, with the specific advice not disclosed. According to Daily Express - Royal, Robert Jobson described Prince Harry telling him he was going to try and do a lot for guys with prosthetics, adding that the prince said he would probably find out what he was doing next before him. The current status of Prince Harry's efforts for guys with prosthetics is unclear, and it is unknown how Ahmed Raza Khan reacted to the comment at the time or who in Prince Harry's circle handed over the video.

And I said, 'With the greatest respect mate, it was your camera, your racist comment, and someone in your circle who obviously handed over the video.' Which I had to apologise for and I did apologise, I apologised for calling him mate because he's not my mate.

Robert Jobson, Royal commentator and author

I remember being on a plane with him, flying from New Zealand, and I'd just broken the story that he was quitting the Army and he was quite good actually.

Robert Jobson, Royal commentator and author

There were only a few of us on the trip and I said, 'What are you going to do?' And he said, 'Well I'm going to try and really do a lot for guys with prosthetics'. He said, 'But you'll probably find out what I'm doing next before me'. He was always a bit chippy with me, but he's okay.

Robert Jobson, Royal commentator and author

I didn't know [it] was an insult. When I was little, I'd heard lots of people use that word and had never seen anyone scowl or seem upset, and I'd never considered those people to be racists.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

I was 21, I'd grown up isolated from the real world and surrounded by privileges, and I believed that word was like saying 'Yankee'. Innocuous.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
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Royal commentator apologizes to Prince Harry over 2009 racist slur incident | Reed News