Prince Harry's ill-advised interview will probably not be held up to future generations of PR professionals as a how-to, and now it seems it has even angered senior figures in the army.
Senior officers are not particularly stressed by his comparison of killing people with computer games, but they are pissed that Harry said he would rather be on the ground in Helmand than flying an Apache attack helicopter.
“My choice would have been back out on the ground with my regiment,” he said in one interview, “For me it’s not that normal because I go into the cookhouse and everyone has a good old gawp, and that’s one thing that I dislike about being here."
A senior army officer, told The Sunday Telegraph: “When Harry was hauled home from Afghanistan last time, he threw his toys out of the pram and more or less said that if couldn’t return to Helmand, he would leave the Army.
“No one wanted Harry to leave in a huff so, with his approval, a career path was mapped out which would allow him to return to Helmand. A lot of people worked with Harry in helping him get into the Army Air Corps, where he has proved a great success.
“Now he seems to be saying that he only became a pilot so he could return to Afghanistan. He should think a little bit less about himself and perhaps a bit more about those who have helped him. He needs to wise up and accept that he is not a soldier but an Army officer — he is not “one of the boys” and never will be.”