Prince Harry’s former army boss slams ‘suicide’ training claims in Spare

Prince Harry’s former army instructor has dubbed a shocking claim in the royal’s memoir a “complete fantasy”.

Prince Harry’s former army instructor has blasted a shocking claim in the royal’s memoir Spare as a “complete fantasy”.

In his memoir, released earlier this month, the Duke of Sussex recalls how his Slingsby T67 Firefly propeller plane was stalled with “no warning”, leaving him fearful it was an “aborted suicide attempt”.

“On one of our first flights together, with no warning, Booley threw the aircraft into a stall,” the 38-year-old royal claimed in his memoir.

“I felt the left wing dip, a sickening feeling of disorder, of entropy, and then, after several seconds that felt like decades, he recovered the aircraft and levelled the wings.

Prince Harry made bold allegations about his deployment in his memoir. Picture: John Stillwell

“I stared at him. What in the absolute —? Was this an aborted suicide attempt?

“No, he said gently. This was the next stage in my training.”

However, these allegations have been slammed by ex-Sergeant Major Michael Booley, who was sitting alongside Prince Harry at the time and insists every detail of the flight was discussed beforehand.

The 57-year-old served in the military for 33 years and taught the Duke of Sussex to pilot the Firefly in 2009.

“I am staggered by this. In shock even,” he told the Sunday Mirror.

Prince Harry sits in the cockpit of an Apache helicopter at the British controlled flight-line in 2012 in Afghanistan. Picture: Getty Images

“While the book compliments me, the recollection of the sorties and lessons is inaccurate, I’m afraid. It’s important to highlight that nothing in the cockpit comes as a surprise. Every sortie is thoroughly briefed beforehand, every single aspect.

“The sortie is flown exactly as per that brief. The only time there are surprises is later in the syllabus, not as stated in the book, when emergencies are introduced.

“Engine failures are practised before the first solo obviously, in case the student suffers one.”

While Booley asserted that he maintains the “utmost respect and admiration” for Prince Harry, he questions parts of the royal’s book which were ghostwritten by leading author, John Joseph Moehringer.

“I think the reference to the flying sorties has been dramatised. I think it’s a result of the ghost writing. I never called him Lt Wales, he was an officer, and I called him Sir,” he said.

“He was an exceptional student, very talented indeed,” he added.

“He is a friend and a man I respect immensely who would always have my ear.”

It comes as Prince Harry was also criticised by senior military figures for revealing his “kill count” of 25 while in Afghanistan as the Taliban accused the royal of committing war crimes after he referred to people he killed as “chess pieces”.

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