So the “News of the Screws” gets another exclusive, this time about Prince Harry using the word ‘Paki’:

ROYAL rebel Prince Harry today stands accused of racism in a bombshell home video as he swaggers in front of his army comrades.

The soldier prince pours shame on the Royal Family as he calls an Asian squaddie “our little Paki friend” and tells another officer cadet jokingly wearing a camouflage veil off duty: “F*** me, you look like a raghead”—an offensive term for an Arab.

There has been some form of official apology:

Last night Clarence House issued an APOLOGY for his behaviour in the shocking video diary—in which Harry is often behind the camera giving a foul-mouthed commentary. Extracts from the shock video can be seen on only our website notw.co.uk

And the Ministry of Defence said last night: “This sort of language is not acceptable in a modern army.”

His sick remarks will not only have infuriated the Queen but could also increase tensions with Islamic groups in the UK who were outraged that he went to fight and kill Muslims in Afghanistan.

However, this is where the News of the World makes itself look idiotic…the jibe is not very recent:

The film was made in 2006, just a year after Harry was shamed for wearing a Nazi swastika at a fancy dress party and forced to make a grovelling apology.

It begins as the Prince—about to embark on training as a combat helicopter pilot—joins other cadets gathering at an airport for their flight to Cyprus. He is behind the camcorder, panning around sleeping comrades waiting for their flight.

As he films one cadet lying on the departure lounge floor, he says: “This is luxury. And here is our first example of possibly how to admin yourself (slang for looking after your kit and keeping yourself in good order) in the terminal awaiting the RAF.”

The camera pans over other snoozing soldiers, with Harry commenting “now that is bad admin, bad admin” before he suddenly stops and zooms in on the face of an unsuspecting Asian cadet yards away.

“Anybody else around here? . . . Ah, our little Paki friend . . . Ahmed,” he whispers.

After arriving in Cyprus, Harry is on exercise with his platoon when he makes his second offensive racist comment. Once again he is behind the camera, filming in the dark.

One of his comrades has put what appears to be some camouflage over his head and as he looks up at the lens Harry says: “It’s Dan the Man . . . F*** me, you look like a raghead. Look at me. Look at me . . . look away.”

The video— obtained by the News of the World— then shows the Prince on manoeuvres in Cyprus with his comrades. Harry plays on-screen reporter, turning the video on himself as he walks along. Then still a Sandhurst military cadet, he sarcastically mocks the exercise they have been given to do.

Paki as an everyday term:

I have a friend who is of Pakistani/Asian origin he uses the term ‘paki’ with his own relatives and friends a lot of the time and it’s seen, by them, as a generic term (like ‘Scouse’ for someone for Liverpool) and, in someways, a term of endearment.

I wonder if, had Harry not be royalty, would anyone have noticed?