Prince Harry snubbed by Army book on notable soldiers as William writes foreword

07 January 2024 , 22:30

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Prince Harry and Prince William both went to Sandhurst (Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Prince Harry has been left out of military academy Sandhurst’s guide to its most notable alumni - despite Prince William writing the foreword to the new book.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, failed to make the cut for the military's book of 200 people to serve at Sandhurst, which is in Berkshire. Harry joins outcasts such as fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley and Waffen-SS Officer Benson Freeman among the “traitors and cads” to be barred. James Blunt was featured in the list, having trained there in the 1990s.

But former British Army Commander Richard Kemp said he understood the ­decision to snub Harry. He added: "I completely understand why he has not been included. I probably would have included him on balance, but it is not a disappointment to not see him in there.

"I suspect the recent disharmony between him and the Royal Family has led them to decide against having him in... I don’t think he did anything particularly notable during his service but he was certainly a significant person to go to Sandhurst."

Dad-of-two Harry had bragged about his military skills in his book Spare, which was released last year. In the memoirs, the royal revealed he killed 25 people while on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was an Apache helicopter pilot at the time and, in Spare, he said he flew on six missions that resulted in “the taking of human lives".

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Prince William salutes after being commissioned as an officer in the British Army in 2006 (Getty Images)

But Mr Kemp told The Sun he feels the "recent disharmony between him (Harry) and the Royal Family" is likely to have overshadowed any military work or achievements. In They Also Served: 200 People Who Trained At Sandhurst, author Vaughan Kent-Payne says that “not everybody who trained [there] was a good egg”. The 65-year-old writer adds that “there is a smattering of traitors and cads” in a veiled dig at the disgraced Prince.

And there's only one reference to Harry in the new Sandhurst book — in his brother William’s entry. In William’s entry, it reads: “His status as a future king meant that he could not be deployed on operations like his younger brother, Harry.”

Author Kent-Payne is the executive director of The Sandhurst Trust, the official charity and alumni community for the academy. Proceeds from the £28 book will go to the Trust.

A Sandhurst spokesperson said: “The book highlights the breadth of accomplishments and experiences across Sandhurst graduates rather than just focusing on the most well-known.”

Bradley Jolly