Father of Army officer who Prince Harry called a ‘P***’ hits back at royal family racism claims

The father of an Army officer who Prince Harry notoriously called a ‘P***’ insists his claims of racism in the Royal Family are ‘wrong’.

In 2009 Harry apologised after footage was published of him using the slur to describe his Sandhurst colleague Ahmed Raza Khan.

Harry said he had used the term without malice after the recording, taken in 2006, was released.  

The prince said he was sorry for any offence caused by the incident and Captain Khan insisted he took no offence, contemporary reports said.

Now, following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mr Khan’s father says he does not agree with the allegation of racism that emerged during the talk. 

Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Abbasi, a former vice- president of Pakistan’s Muslim Bank who has previously met Prince Charles, told The Sun: ‘Prince Harry might have his problems with the family but I don’t agree with him at all. 

‘I don’t think the UK people or the Royal Family are racists. They are accommodating to people from all parts of the world and giving them access to the best facilities as citizens and residents.’

Mr Abbasi added: ‘I have met members of the Royal Family and they were extremely polite and loving.’

He said Harry’s use of the word ‘P***’ had caused hurt in the past, but said it was not possible to ignore the ‘love’ shown by members of the Royal Family. 

One of the most serious allegations to come out of the Oprah interview is the suggestion of racism. 

Now, following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mr Khan’s father says he does not agree with the allegation of racism that emerged during the talk

Prince Charles with Ahmed Raza Khan’s father, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Sandhurst Military Academy, Surrey, April 2006

Harry and Meghan – in slightly differing anecdotes – suggested a family member had talked about what colour skin their child would have.

Meghan said there had been ‘concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born’. 

When asked by Ms Winfrey whether there were concerns that her child would be ‘too brown’, Meghan said: ‘If that is the assumption you are making, that is a pretty safe one.’

The couple refused to say which member of the Royal Family had made the comments but later confirmed it was neither the Queen nor Prince Philip.

Harry went on to heap criticism on his father, suggesting that he and his wife hadn’t been protected or received the recognition that he clearly thought they deserved within the family.

‘I feel really let down because he’s been through something similar, he knows what pain feels like and Archie is his grandson,’ he said.

‘Of course I will always love him but there’s a lot of hurt that’s happened and I will continue to make it one of my priorities to try to heal that relationship.’ 

A source close to the prince at the time of his use of the word ‘p***’ had said he was willing to take his punishment ‘on the chin’ but stressed: ‘Harry doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.’