PRINCE Harry has further stoked his “death count” row by denying he was boasting when he revealed he had killed 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
He claimed he wanted to break a taboo which prevents veterans from discussing their wartime experiences.
Harry told the US Late Show that he hoped it would “reduce the number of suicides”.
However, fellow veterans disputed his take on members of the armed forces revealing their “kill rate” and warned the revelation would put him and his family at risk of reprisals.
Harry said claims he was bragging were the media’s “most dangerous lie”.
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He told host Stephen Colbert: “I think the most important thing is to be honest and to give space to others to be able to share their experiences without any shame.
“And my whole goal, my attempt with sharing that detail, is to reduce the number of suicides.”
He wrote in his autobiography Spare that he viewed his victims as “chess pieces”.
He said his kill figure gave him no satisfaction, nor was he ashamed.
He added: “Naturally, I’d have preferred not to have that number in my military CV, in my mind, but by the same token I’d have preferred to live in a world where there was no Taliban, no war.”
SAS legend Rusty Firmin, who stormed the Iranian Embassy, said: “He hasn’t done himself any favours.”
Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West called the royal’s disclosure “stupid”.
SAS veteran “Big Phil” Campion, a campaigner for veterans’ mental health, said Harry seemed to have “lost the plot”.