The Duchess of Sussex has publicly backed Prince Harry after he condemned Donald Trump's controversial remarks about Nato's role in Afghanistan. In a Fox News interview, the US president claimed alliance troops "stayed a little off the front lines" and that America had "never needed" its allies, despite Nato invoking Article 5 after the 9/11 attacks.
Prince Harry, a veteran of two frontline tours, responded on Friday evening, saying the sacrifices of British soldiers "deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect". Meghan later posted a series of images on Instagram Stories highlighting his military service and his role as patron of the Invictus Games.
In a statement, Harry recalled that Nato invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in history in 2001, obliging every allied nation to stand with the United States. "I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there," he said, adding that children were left without a parent and families carry the cost.
The duke served for ten years, training at Sandhurst and joining the Household Cavalry. He was due to deploy to Iraq in 2007 but was pulled out over security concerns. Later that year he served a 10-week tour in Helmand Province, and in 2012 undertook a 20-week deployment as an Apache co-pilot gunner.
Mr Trump's remarks have drawn widespread condemnation across the UK political spectrum. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called them "frankly appalling" and said the president should apologise.
