Meghan Markle has shared a picture of Prince Harry serving in Afghanistan as she appeared to criticise Donald Trump‘s insult that British troops shielded from danger during the conflict.
The Duchess of Sussex posted a photo of her husband sitting in the front seat of a military helicopter, alongside images taken at the Invictus Games, an event Harry founded in 2014 to celebrate wounded military personnel.
The images were uploaded to her Instagram story just hours after Prince Harry launched his own personal attack on Mr Trump, saying that British soldiers who sacrificed their lives ought to be treated with ‘respect’.
The US president has been at the centre of criticism this week after he said that NATO troops stayed ‘a little off the frontlines’ in Afghanistan.
Mr Trump added in the interview with Fox News that ‘we’ve never needed them’ and ‘we have never really asked anything of them’.
Prince Harry last night joined decorated veterans, MPs from all parties and the families of soldiers killed in venting their hurt and anger at Mr Trump’s comments.
The Duke, who was twice deployed to Afghanistan in his ten-year military career, said: ‘I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there.
‘Thousands of lives were changed for ever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.
This is the image of Prince Harry that Meghan uploaded to her Instagram story showing him serving in Afghanistan
Harry is pictured at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017 in another image shared by Meghan
The Prince, who was known as ‘Captain Wales’ in the military, served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2008 and in 2012
‘Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.’
The Prince, who was known as ‘Captain Wales’ in the military, served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2008 and in 2012.
He flew an Apache attack helicopter during his second tour and later revealed in his memoir Spare that he had killed 25 Taliban fighters.
Harry was first deployed to Helmand province as a forward air controller in 2007, but his first trip was cut short when an Australian magazine broke a media embargo on reporting that he was serving out there by mistake.
However, he returned in 2012 with the Ministry of Defence publicising his second deployment on the understanding that the media would allow him to get on with the job at hand.
After he learnt to fly Apache helicopters, Harry was deployed to Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan in 2012 where he stayed for 20 weeks.
Harry trained to fly in the front seat as the mission or aircraft commander but the majority of the time he operated the Apache’s sights, sensors and weapons systems.
Harry wrote in Spare that he flew on six missions that resulted in the ‘taking of human lives’. He said he did not think of those killed ‘as people’ but instead ‘chess pieces’ he had taken off the board.
The pictures were uploaded to Meghan’s Instagram story just hours after Prince Harry launched his own personal attack on Trump
Donald Trump (pictured) sparked outrage and revulsion for his slur that hero British troops shied from danger in Afghanistan
Competitors from the United States and Denmark compete during their semi final wheelchair rugby match at the Invictus Games in Toronto. This image was shared by Meghan
Trump’s comments on NATO’s troops in Afghanistan came just days after he clashed with his allies over his bid to take control of Greenland.
His remarks triggered outrage, with ministers dispensing with diplomatic protocol.
Al Carns, the Armed Forces minister and a former commando who served five tours in Afghanistan, said Britain had fought ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with US troops after America asked Nato allies to come to its aid following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Mr Carns raged: ‘This is utterly ridiculous. We shed blood, sweat and tears together. Not everybody came home.
‘I’d suggest whoever believes these comments to come have a whisky with me, my colleagues, their families and importantly, the families of those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for both of our nations.’
Calvin Bailey, Labour MP and a former RAF Wing Commander, was awarded a US Air Medal for serving with American special ops in Afghanistan.
He blasted: ‘The notion that we weren’t in and amongst the front line, albeit I was a pilot, is for the birds.’
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, meanwhile, accused the President of talking ‘flat-out nonsense’, adding: ‘Their sacrifice deserves respect, not denigration.’
Sir Jeremy Hunt, former foreign secretary, called Mr Trump’s remarks ‘totally unacceptable, factually wrong and deeply disrespectful’.
In his response to the US President, Sir Keir said: ‘I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.
‘If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise.’
Diane Dernie, the mother of ex-Paratrooper Ben Parkinson who is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to have survived in Afghanistan, decried Mr Trump as ‘a childish man trying to deflect from his own actions’.
Ex-paratrooper Mr Parkinson, now 41, suffered horrendous injuries when an Army Land Rover hit a mine near Musa Qala in 2006.
Ms Dernie added: ‘Come and look at the life that Ben leads – 19 years on, still fighting for his care, still fighting to have a decent life, recovering from a recent operation. [Keir Starmer] has got to stand up for his own Armed Forces, and he’s got to absolutely refute what Donald Trump said.
‘Call him out. Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag.’
There has so far been no reaction to the furore from Mr Trump, who instead has posted on social media about his wife Melania’s upcoming Amazon documentary and a cold weather front set to hit the US this weekend.
