However, it’s not particularly serious either, and people whose reaction to the Prince Harry case is any stronger than "Hmmm, tosser. At least he’s apologised" are absolute jokers.
Anyway, the Royal Family has a fine historical tradition of fascism; it’s good to see Harry following in his grandfather and great-great-uncle’s footsteps.
Update: prankster and bad comedian Aaron Barschak, rather surprisingly, has the best take I’ve read on this story.
I agree that a royal dressing like a Nazi is not the most pressing problem facing the nation, but I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea that everything is fine if he said sorry.
I haven’t read it, but I presume he apologises for any offence caused and mentions his regret. But this is my point; he didn’t accidentally tread on someone’s foot on the tube. There were a whole host of stages in his decision to get the costume, put it on and turn up in the party in it, where he could have though, ‘Nazi armband: hilarious jape or unthinking, dumb, offensive wankery?’ He didn’t.
An apology along the lines of ‘I am sorry, this was a mistake which I regret, I won’t impersonate a Nazi again’ won’t really do the trick as it suggests it is okay to only consider the impact of such deliberate and provocative actions like this when people complain after the event.
If he is going to apologise, it should be more along the lines of, ‘I am sorry, I seem to be an ignorant arse lacking the most basic powers of judgement. I now see this is the case, and request you reallocate the funds from my Smirnoff Ice budget line in the Civil List accordingly. Hugs and Kisses, Harry’.
Which grandfather? Phil the Greek/Dane/German may have bizarre views, but he did spend WWII on a boat, as only a middle-ranking officer, in danger, fighting fascists.
What Diana’s dad, or Hewitt’s were up to during the war I don’t know, so if it was them you meant, then sorry.
DH – no, was just being gratuitiously mean about Phil the Greek.
Jake – not sure I agree. There is a valid place of fascist dictators and Nazi symbolism in humour (cf The Producers). This certainly isn’t it – but Harry is a not-very-bright, not-very-grown-up young man, so I think he can be forgiven for failing to appreciate the difference…
That’s a fair enough point, and yes, we probably shouldn’t penalise people for their stupidity, or I would have been strung up on Putney Bridge by now.
Please continue to be gratuitiously mean about Phil the Greek. That is all.
Not sure I can let Harry of the hook as easily as others seem to (although I disagree with the storm in the teacup the media have generated around this affair).
He’s been raised to understand his responsibilities to the country, he’s been raised to understand his face will always be public and therefore should tread more carefully than the rest of us.
His only saving grace is that he’s also been raised to have a deep mistrust of the media, and of high level politics (his mother in the house of Windsor for example), hence one can possibly account for his rebelliousness (however, I don’t see this as an act of rebellion, just insensitivity).
But his true punishment will come when he attends Sandhurst and all the other officers-to-be give him the moniker "Harry the Nazi" for the rest of his military career.
And why shouldn’t we penalise the stupid? If it encourages people to be less stupid and more thoughtful, I’m all for it…only problem is that the size of the crowd is inversely proportional to its intelligence.
Nice letter in the Independent this morning, wondering how Eton College tackles the prejudice/exclusion/stereotyping issues. I hope the Head gives a response – there’s actually a chance that he will, he’s fairly new & relatively clued-in.
It shouldn’t be that we should "penalise the stupid" as people can’t help having a low IQ (just like I can’t always help getting lost due to my complete lack of sense of direction!) but why not "penalise the insensitive" as that character flaw is definitely one that could be, and should be, addressed. And I do think that people are blowing this whole event out of proportion…just because Harry dressed up as Hitler, doesn’t mean he’s a neo-nazi or similar, just as when peeps dress up as porn stars for fancy dress it doesn’t mean we necessarily aspire to be like them. For all we know about the fancy dress event, he may have been wearing that get-up as a way of mocking Hitler. I think it’s a classic case of pure insensitivity and failing to think about the cosequences of actions…with terrible timing…the 60th anniversary of the memorial of the holocaust. Oh dear.
It’s easy to be harsh, but we must be. The only way in which the absurdity of the hereditary Monarchy that rules us can be exposed fully is to make a big play of things like this. There’s a reasonable chance (indeed it is why Harry exists if you listen to Monarchists) that one day he may be the King, and as his Father has shown us the Royal Family is not like fine wine, ie they don’t mature with age.
It’s easy to be harsh, but we must be.
When I can be bothered, I’m going to put this as SBBS’s new strapline.
I think you underestimate him. He may have got out of a family trip to Auschwitz and it was probably his best chance of avoiding the long stint in the military which he has been pushing back so far. He has also beaten his brother to claim the public’s attention. And best of all, he will have a good excuse for having to dress up for fancy dress parties.
I must confess John I stole it from Martin Amis review of the England soccer team in the early 1980s.
"It is all too easy to blame Ron Greenwood. Yet I think we should blame Ron Greenwood"
why did this happen. terrosists should be arrested not be let out doing it all over again. a lot of people have died and lost families. stop this now. what have we done 2 them.