Prince Harry was at the centre of a huge controversy 20 years ago when it was revealed he wore a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party – and he still considers it one of the ‘biggest mistakes’ of his life
Prince Harry once disclosed one of the “biggest mistakes” of his life, confessing it left him “so ashamed”. The Duke of Sussex sparked a scandal 20 years ago when he was spotted wearing a Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party.
The incident occurred in 2005 when Harry was 20 and attended the party donning the contentious soldier’s uniform complete with a swastika. He was captured on camera in the outfit, clutching a drink and a cigarette.
At that time, Clarence House, the official residence of his father King Charles, had to release a statement confirming Harry’s apology for any offence or embarrassment caused. However, in his bombshell Netflix series with Meghan Markle, Harry spoke out about the incident for the first time.
He confessed: “It was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I felt so ashamed afterwards. All I wanted to do was make it right.”
Prince Harry has grown a lot since his “biggest ever mistake” (Image: Getty Images)
He also shared that he had conversations with the chief rabbi and met with a Holocaust survivor as part of his commitment to rectify his error and learn from it. He elaborated: “All I wanted to do was make it right. I sat down and spoke to the Chief Rabbi in London, which had a profound impact on me. I went to Berlin and spoke to a Holocaust survivor. I could have just ignored it and gone on and made the same mistakes over and over again in my life. But I learned from that.”
In the same interview, Prince Harry touched on the concept of “unconscious bias” within his family, stating that although “it’s actually no one’s fault,” this does not release someone from the obligation to address it. “Once it’s been pointed out or identified within yourself you then need to make it right,” he remarked.
“It’s education, it’s awareness and it’s a constant work in progress for everyone ― including me.”
Following the 2005 incident, Harry promptly offered an apology through a statement, admitting, “I am very sorry if I caused any offence or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologise.
At the time, the Board of Deputies of British Jews recognised Harry’s remorse, saying they were “pleased that [Harry has] apologized for … his ill-judged actions.”
The organisation expressed their intent to focus on “ensuring that everyone understands the evils and enormity of the Holocaust, and the resonance of the swastika, not only to the Jewish community, but to all in the United Kingdom affected by the Second World War against the Nazis.”
