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Published 13 Feb, 2009 12:00am

Prince Harry to attend ‘equality course’: reports

LONDON, Feb 12: After a royal reprimand, it’s back to school for Prince Harry.

British media outlets reported on Thursday that the prince was being sent on an “equality and diversity” course by the British army after he was recorded making racist remarks.

The BBC and the Daily Mirror, citing senior defence officials, said the 24-year-old prince would attend a course designed to press home how offensive racist language was.

Last month a newspaper released 2006 video of Harry using a highly offensive term about a Pakistani officer. Harry apologised but said he had used the expression about a friend and without malice.

The prince was also recorded using an epithet for people of Middle Eastern descent to mock another cadet. This week, black British comedian Stephen K. Amos said Harry — a lieutenant in the Household Cavalry regiment — had told him last year that he didn’t “sound like a black chap”.

The prince’s office said Harry had been “subjected to normal army disciplinary procedures” but would not confirm he was being sent on a diversity course. The ministry of defence said Harry had received “a dressing down” from his commanding officer.

Harry has likely already been on a diversity course. Charles Heyman, a defence analyst and former British army officer, said they were a standard part of military training.

Heyman said the courses were designed to let soldiers know “that the world is a bit different than they might think, and that it’s good manners to treat people the way they would like to be treated themselves.”—AP

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