Prince Harry has faced fresh criticism over remarks he made in his memoir Spare about his military service in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex came under fire from retired army veteran Col Tim Collins, who argued that Harry's discussion of the lives he took during combat was inappropriate and out of step with military culture.
Speaking to Forces News, Collins took issue with Harry's claim in his 2023 memoir that he killed 25 Taliban fighters during his deployment in Afghanistan. According to the retired officer, such matters are not typically discussed in the way Harry presented them.
"Amongst his assertions is a claim that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan. That's not how you behave in the army; it's not how we think," Collins said.
He went on to suggest that Harry had "badly let the side down" by speaking publicly about the figure.
"We don't do notches on the rifle butt. We never did," he added, stressing that soldiers do not generally focus on or publicise kill counts.
Collins also accused the Duke of using his military experiences as part of what he described as a "tragic moneymaking scam" aimed at supporting a lifestyle he could no longer afford.
The retired colonel further argued that discussing the number of enemy fighters killed was both "crass" and "cringeworthy."
"I've never heard anyone talk about kill counts," he said. "Taking a life is the most serious thing you can ever do on operations. Serious people don't talk it up as a game to sell a few books."
Harry's comments in Spare sparked widespread debate when the memoir was released, with supporters arguing he was sharing his personal experiences honestly, while critics questioned whether such disclosures were appropriate.
