Prince Harry has unveiled previously unreleased photographs depicting his deployment in Afghanistan following his strong message to Donald Trump today.
The Duke of Sussex, aged 41, expressed in a statement released this afternoon that NATO troops who supported the US and gave their lives should be honored with “respect” after the President, who avoided the draft, implied they had avoided the frontlines. In contrast to Trump’s comments, he emphasized that they should be talked about honestly.
To reinforce his statement, the prince has shared new insights into his 10-year military career through images showing him in full combat gear and carrying heavy weapons.
The pictures exhibit the Prince in protective attire seated in a Spartan armored vehicle holding a heavy-duty gun with two fellow soldiers, one identified as Lance Corporal of Horse Chris “Dougie” Douglass. While it is unclear if the photos by John Stillwell were taken on the frontline, Harry mentioned in his statement that he had experienced the loss of friends during his time in Afghanistan.
He remarked, “In 2001, NATO enacted Article 5 for the first and only time in history. It signified that every allied nation was obligated to support the United States in Afghanistan for our mutual security. Allies responded to that call.
“I served there. I formed lifelong bonds there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service members killed. Numerous lives were forever altered. Parents mourned sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families bear the burden.”
“These sacrifices deserve to be discussed truthfully and respectfully as we all stand united and committed to the defense of diplomacy and peace.”
The Duke, who retired as a captain after a decade in the armed forces, including two deployments to Afghanistan, was responding to Trump’s contentious statement, where the President claimed his country never required allied troops who perished fighting for them post-NATO invoking Article 5.
During an interview this week, Trump stated, “We’ve never needed them … They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan … and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines.”
The President’s remarks that the US-Europe relationship was not reciprocal drew immediate criticism, particularly in the UK, where close ally Keir Starmer denounced the comments as “insulting and frankly appalling.” Starmer expressed, “I will never forget their courage, their bravery, and the sacrifice they made for their country.
“Many were also injured, some with life-altering injuries. Therefore, I find President Trump’s comments insulting and frankly appalling, and I am not surprised they caused such pain to the loved ones of those killed or injured.”