After coming across an excerpt from Prince Harry’s military years in his book, a former drill sergeant brings the truth to light.
The couple from Sussex never ceases to be talked about. While many wonder if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend the coronation of King Charles III of England, the Duke of Sussex has always attracted attention since the publication of his book The Substitute (Fayard) at the start of 2023. In this book, which notably contributed to the success of a beauty product, Prince Harry talks about his young years as well as the period during which he joined the ranks of the army.
An episode which he takes advantage of to return to a particular moment which would have marked him deeply. Indeed, Prince William’s brother writes that he was close to death during a flight lesson. “I felt the left wing sink in, a sickening sensation of chaos, confusion, and then, after several seconds that felt like decades, he straightened the plane and leveled the wings. “I stared at him. What the hell…? Was it a failed suicide attempt? No, he said softly. This was the next step in my training”can we read in the autobiography of the Duke of Sussex.
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A made-up story?
An anecdote that sends shivers down your spine. However, the facts told in Prince Harry’s memoir seem to differ from what actually happened that day. “ Although the book compliments me, the memory of outings and lessons is inaccurate, I’m afraid. It is important to emphasize that nothing in the cockpit is a surprise. Each outing is thoroughly briefed in advance on all aspects”explains Sergeant Major Michael Booley, Prince Harry’s former flight instructor, to our colleagues at Sunday Mirror before adding: “I am amazed by all of this. I am even in shock”.
According to him, no room is left for the unexpected before stepping into the cockpit for a lesson. A point on which a former Apache instructor also agrees: “All training rides are briefed to the nth degree so that the student is fully aware of what the plan is. In the air, now is not the time to try to brief someone on what the plan is. The briefing takes place on the ground, in front of a blackboard. I can only assume the book was written like that for dramatic effect because it’s wrong and no instructor behaves like that.”
Despite these inaccurate statements, Sergeant Michael Booley still says he has a high regard for Prince Harry with whom he remembers having shared a roast lamb during a Sunday lunch. The pair were also pictured together in 2009, shortly after Harry graduated from Elementary Defense Flying School. For Michael Booley, this extract was probably written by an editor who wanted to add a touch of sensation to the story of the prince. Still, this detail brings discredit to all the memoirs published by the prince.