Gordon Brown backs 'racist' Prince Harry

GORDON BROWN today made a strong defence of Prince Harry over the "Paki" controversy.

The Prime Minister said the prince's use of the word when referring to a fellow soldier, as well as the terms "raghead" and "queer", should not overshadow his military record.

Mr Brown said Harry, who saw action in Afghanistan, was a "role model".

But the family of Ahmed Raza Khan, the Sandhurst cadet the prince called "Paki" in a home video, told the Standard they felt Harry was a "coward" for hiding behind an official spokesman and want him to make a personal apology on TV.

MP Keith Vaz said Harry, 24, a second lieutenant in the Blues and Royals, was third in line to the throne - not "an understudy for Bernard Manning".

Speaking on GMTV, Mr Brown said: "I think Prince Harry knows that these comments aren't acceptable. I think he's made an apology. I think it is a genuine apology. I think the sincereness of his apology cannot be doubted."

Mr Brown added: "He's made his admission of that and once he's made his apology...I think the British people are good enough to give him the benefit of the doubt."

He said that although he believed "these comments play no part in our life" he felt the issue should now be dropped.

Prince Harry faces a dressing down from the Army over the film made in 2006.