The retired head of the British army has revealed a secret discussion with the late Queen regarding Harry's risk of death in the Afghanistan war. Photo / Getty Images
The retired head of the British army has revealed a secret discussion with the late Queen regarding Harry's risk of death in the Afghanistan war. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen is said to have stated she wanted Prince William and Prince Harry to join the war in Afghanistan as part of their public duty but believed the risk of death of one grandson was “acceptable” while the other was not.
Retired head of the British army General Sir Mike Jackson, 79, has claimed the late monarch’s call came during a discussion between himself and Her Majesty, who died aged 96 in September – during which he said she declared: “My grandsons have taken my shilling, therefore, they must do their duty.”
Despite their close relationship, the late Queen deemed Harry's risk of death in the Afghanistan war "acceptable". Photo / Getty Images
Sir Mike is set to reveal on the upcoming five-part series, The Real Crown, which will air in the UK on April 20: “What goes on in those audiences and who says what to whom remains for the two people involved, and I will break the rule about not divulging what goes on, on this one occasion.
”She was very clear. She said, ‘My grandsons have taken my shilling, therefore they must do their duty.’ And that was that.”
He added about how the “risk” of sending the princes to war was more “acceptable” for Harry, 38, who has called himself the “spare heir”: ”But it was decided that William as heir to the heir, the risk is too great.
”But for his younger brother, the risk was acceptable.”
Prince William, 40, did a 44-week training stint at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst after he graduated from St Andrews University and was later attached to the Royal Air Force and Navy.
Despite wanting to join the war he was prevented from doing so given his position as a future King.
Harry, 38, spent 10 years in the army and completed two operational tours of duty in Afghanistan between 2007 to 2008 and 2012 to 2013.
Prince William takes part in an army training exercise. Photo / Getty Images
He controversially said in his autobiography Spare, released in January, he killed 25 Taliban insurgents during his second tour in Afghanistan and thought of them as “chess pieces” instead of humans and ”Bads taken away before they could kill Goods”.
The Duke of Sussex said his kill tally was an act that left him neither proud nor ashamed, adding at the time it was simply his job as a soldier. He did not see his victims as “people” but rather “chess pieces” that had to be taken off the board.
“So my number is 25. It’s not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me,” he wrote.
The Duke of Sussex qualified as a co-pilot gunner in February 2012 and was known as Captain Wales in the army, During his time served, he helped provide helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces operating in Helmand province.
The Prince was based out of Camp Bastion, 662 Squadron Army Air Corps, he flew more than 100 missions over 2500 flying hours and has reflected fondly on his time in the military going so far as to say it’s what “saved him” after the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, by helping him “turn his pain into purpose”.
The comments came when he was promoting his memoir. During an explosive tell-all interview with Anderson Cooper, Harry said, “My military career saved me in many regards. It got me out of the spotlight from the UK press.
“I was able to focus on a purpose larger than myself - to be wearing the same uniform as everybody else, to feel normal for the first time in my life, and accomplish some of the biggest challenges that I ever had.”
