A former solider who trained Prince Harry in the army has spoken out and voiced his concerns over the Duke's army confessions in his autobiography.
Steve Jones, a former army soldier and mentor, trained Prince Harry during his time in the military and oversaw his training from an infantryman to becoming an Apache gunner in 2012 at the age of 27. Harry, who has made confessions over his time in Afghanistan and fighting against the Taliban, stepped back from his roles with the UK military when he stepped back from royal life in 2020.
Jones has explained his 'deep regret' whilst also adding that he feels Prince Harry has "done his bit for his country".
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Prince Harry served in the military for two tours (SplashNews.com)Jones, who trained Harry, told GB News: "I do feel disappointed. I feel gutted he’s not at the head of the military as he used to be. I’m grateful to have met him and flown with him. I think he has done his bit for his country. We can never take that away from him. He’s done an Apache course. He’ll always be one of us."
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Jones also said he was disappointed by Harry’s detailing in Spare that he had killed 25 Taliban fighters. In his 2023 autobiography, Harry wrote: "Every kill was on video. The Apache saw all. The camera in its nose recorded all. So, after every mission, there would be a careful review of that video. I was part of six missions that ended in the taking of human life, and they were all deemed justified… I deemed them the same."
In response, Jones shared: "It’s not what we’re about. We’re not here to say, ‘I did this, I did that.’ It’s not a game. These are real people. They’ve got families. I wouldn’t have made any comment. I get a very uneasy feeling for anybody who says 'I killed 10'. It’s not what should be said, at all. But [Harry] did have a successful tour. It’s a shame he didn’t hang around to do more but I guess he ticked that box and scratched that itch and moved on. I would say he’s stepped backwards in a way, from the way he was to [how he is] now."
Prince Harry detailed his experience in Afghanistan in his autobiography 'Spare' (Getty Images)
The Duke's confessions of Taliban shooting have been slammed by his former army mentor (Getty Images)Jones also expressed many positive memories about the Duke of Sussex, adding: "I remember the first time [Harry and I] met, in a briefing, it felt like he was briefing me. I was distracted, thinking 'this is the third-in-line to the throne'. Then I thought 'actually, he’s just another student. He doesn’t get any favours from me. If anything, he’s going to have to try harder'. I’ve had people say he only passed because of who he is. Nothing could be further from the truth."
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