Prince Harry's Invictus Games role AT RISK as bombshell memoir backfires again - 'A self-inflicted wound'

Prince Harry risks being forced to give up his much loved role at the Invictus Games charity following backlash from military veterans at comments made in his memoir, Spare.

Military insiders have admitted his claim that he killed 25 Taliban while in Afghanistan has angered former serving personnel.

The Duke of Sussex served two tours in the Middle Eastern country while in the Army.

Writing about his time as an Apache helicopter pilot he said he did not think of those he killed as "people" but as "chess pieces" that needed to be removed.

Insiders fear the remarks will be a "self-inflicted wound" for the Prince that force him to step back from the Invictus Games.

The military charity, which was founded by Harry in 2014, is an international multi-sport for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women.

The games are next due to take place in September in Dusseldorf, Germany.

A senior military officer told The Mirror: “Harry’s book has become a self-inflicted wound from which he might never recover.

“It may be a bestseller but the damage done to his reputation, especially among the forces and veterans, could be beyond repair.”

A member of the veterans charity added: “Harry was idolised by veterans. Many who have competed in the games will tell you it saved their lives.

“But the tide has turned with the publication of Spare and Harry may be viewed as toxic by many veterans.

“If so, he may have to give up his patronage.”

Last night an Army Major who helped oversee the training of Prince Harry also branded him “disgraceful”.

Major Mike Shearer told GB News: “It is disgraceful behaviour. I've been in a number of conflicts where the enemy has met their end. Of course, you fight hard. That's what we're there to do.

"But as soon as the enemy is dead, they get the utmost respect. And there's no gloating.

"Quite frankly, there's no time for gloating and to talk about soldiers, the Taliban, who are fighting for their cause, to speak about them as 'chess pieces that you just knock over', I'm bewildered that it would come to that."

In his book, Prince Harry wrote about his enemy kills: "My number: 25. It wasn’t a number that gave me any satisfaction. But neither was it a number that made me feel ashamed.

"In the heat and fog of combat, I didn’t think of those 25 as people. I’d been trained to ‘other-ise’ them."