Prince Harry's Afghanistan interview - Part 1 Updated

While deployed in Afghanistan, access was given to ITV and BBC reporters to interview Prince Harry under the utmost secrecy. The video footage was to be released after Harry returned from Afghanistan. Since the news embargo on Harry's deployment was broken by Australian woman's magazine New Idea, who claimed not to know there was an embargo on the news, Prince Harry has been evacuated from Afghanistan for his own safety and his interviews have been released early.

Here is a transcript of part one of the interview, which was given outside Harry's secure bunker at the Afghani front line. The interviewer's questions have unfortunately been excluded from the interview and it may not be in the correct order.

Prince Harry's Afghanistan interview Part 1

On the dangers of serving in Afghanistan:

"Every solider that’s operating in Afghanistan is under threat from the moment you step off—-the moment you come into the airspace of Afghanistan, you know. That’s just the way it is. It’s the reality you’ve got to face up to. But, you know, I can’t think of a time I specifically up here that I felt, 'Oh, shit. This is a little bit—this is not the right place to be.' Apart from this morning when we found ourselves in quiet a tight spot, but we made it out so that’s all right.

"A lot of the time the guys are engaging, sort of, invisible firing points because the Taliban are very good at hiding in their trenches. They put their heads up and that’s it. And if the guys are coming under a lot of fire then I call the air in. And as soon as the air comes up they disappear and just jump down these hole or go into their bunkers.

"They’re picking up from Iraq now, using command wire, which means, essentially, if you find it, it doesn’t make any difference because once you find it if it’s all tied up and they’re watching and they press a button, or whatever they do, and boom. But, yeah, as I said, the guys found it."

The camera crew was filming with Harry the day his troop happened upon the IUD. The reporter asked Harry what was being done about the situation:

"Yeah, basically just doing a patrol down towards Maskahar DC and came across a vulnerable point we cross over everyday. Not everyday, but pretty much once a week. And this time for the first time in about four months we found a device, which wasn’t deadly, luckily. The command wire seems to be snapped by a civvy vehicle. Something in it seems to be snapped. And they found a shell down by the vulnerable point and searched the building nearby that looks relatively suspicious. Found some more shells in there and a rucksack of some kind. And then we just called it up and now—well—we’ve been sitting here for what feels like a day. Pretty much has been. Waiting for the EUD team to come down to disarm the device and make sure it’s safe for the locals and civilians to basically carry on using it as a crossing point."

Reporter: "And there was a thought it [the helicopter] was going to have to land somewhere else?"

Harry: "Yeah, well, supposedly because we don’t have the man--or we didn’t have the man power and because of people up high—it’s always difficult for them because they’re not on the ground—therefore it’s my job to make sure if it’s possible, to make the situation more convenient. Therefore instead of going miles back, to land there for us to pick them up, bring them back, do it; this whole process all over again. Try and get the helicopter to land in here, get the job done, get them back on the helicopter, get them out. So hopefully we’re just waiting out to see if we’re given the green light."

Reporter: "What's the process to guide them in?"

Harry: "The handset’s my ears [points to headset] normally a good clue. No, we’re just trying to make sure—because at the moment if they go in there they are going to be beyond the current frequency which is the only clear—so we’re just trying to persuade them to come onto this frequency so I can have a chat to them and see what their feelings are, whether they can come in here or not. As you can see it’s secured by 10 armored vehicles so they can’t be too upset about it."

On the specific threats towards his life:

"To be honest with you—I don’t know if it’s the right thing or the wrong thing to say—but I suppose I’d be in that position anyway, um, just being a part of that family. Yeah, there’s threats that come in the whole time, not as many as you’d expect hopefully. But yeah once this film comes out I’m sure every single person that supports them will be trying to slot me, but . . . now that you come to think about it it’s quite worrying! But, yeah, some of the Americans saying they’re going to keep their identity wrapped up because guys in America have hunted down their families on bases. Just generally trying to track them down and do whatever they want to do to them. I think there’s a lot of guys here who hope we wont be targeted but, as I say, now that this films been made people will know that I’m here. No doubt I’ll be a top target. But just do the job; everyone’s the same everyone else. Everyone’s life is as important as everyone else’s. I’ve never felt particularly in threat and I don’t think anyone else has yet—touch wood. But, you know, sitting here now we’re in threat. It’s the same across the whole of Helmed, the whole of Afghanistan. There's guys from different countries; USA, Denmark--i'm gonna miss a few now--Canada, everyone. Every soldier that's operating here now in Afghanistan is under threat.

On life as a solider:

"Rations is miserable. Been on rations now for—I can’t even remember how long. The guys here have been on rations even longer than I have. At least with the Gurkhas I’ve been getting some fresh meat, even though it was goat. But yeah, they really are fed up with it; they are really fed up with rations. But, food’s food. There are people out in the villages who have even less stuff then us so I suppose we should be happy with our corned beef hash.

"To be honest with you out here one nice thing is not knowing what's going on in the papers, what rubbish people are writting just about in general. So yeah, its very nice to be out of touch with everything. That is probably the nicest bit about this place is that fact that, yeah, okay, so you're walking around in two inches of sand but you're miles away from everybody--you're miles away from everything. And it's nice."

On being recognized:

"To be honest with you the people out here, the last thing they want to worry about or the last thing they think about is, 'Who’s that?' Even if I am ginger and have got bright red hair etcetera. Lucky I got the helmet on so that’s not too bad. A gift yeah. You’re ginger yourself so you would say that. But, um, yeah there’s no need for me to cover my face or anything like that. I’ve got, you know, a [indecipherable] and goggles if I need to, but it’s not like that out here. It’s quite pleasant walking around without people going, 'Oh!'

On learning about his deployment and keeping in touch with home:

"She [the Queen] wasn’t actually the one who told me I was coming out here. I actually informed her but somebody had already asked her saying, 'Are you cool with this?' And I think she said 'Splendid idea, yes, go for it.' So she couldn’t have been more happy to get rid of me. But I haven’t heard from her. The letters I’ve sent to my dad he’s passed on — he’s photocopied them and passed them on. As long as they haven’t been too — um, [draws in breath] you know what I mean? So yeah, I think she’s heard through my dad what’s been going on and, yeah, she’s very supportive of all the guys out here. As she always will be.

"I know he [Prince William] would love to come out here and he’s still a bit jealous because things back home are pretty poo. The weathers crap. The usual England stuff. But, yeah, I’ve had chats to him. He loves to know what’s going on out here. It’s the same with everyone, when anyone rings back home you sort of say, 'Yeah, pretty quiet day today. No one shot at us etcetera, etcetera.' And they're like, 'Good, good, that’s a good thing.' But there’s a lot of guys around here that--if we get shot at—-if things start happening and the time and the day goes quicker. People back home can’t quiet understand that. But you’d never understand that unless you spend four months out here."

On returning home:

"I don't want to sit around in Windsor. But I generally don't like England that much and, you know, it's nice to be away from all the press and the papers and all the general s***e they write."

On his mother and serving as an Officer:

"Hopefully she’d [Princess Diana] be proud. William sent me a letter saying how proud he recons she would be. You know, it’s not necessarily one thing I think about the whole time because I’ve got the guys to worry about. You worry about yourself, you worry about the blokes your looking after, you worry about blokes that you’re not even looking after. At the end of the day I’m an Officer, you’re supposed to be able to look after everybody and that’s the way it is. You come last. So I haven’t really had a chance to sit own and think about it much. But now you mention it I probably will later.

"But, yeah, hopefully she’d be proud. She’s be looking down having a giggle about the stupid things I’ve been doing. Going left when I should have gone right. Finding myself in an awkward position earlier today. Yeah, I mean I suppose that’s just the way it is. There’s other people who’ve lost their parents, I’m sure it’s the same for them. If you sit and mong it and think about stuff like that then you’re only going to feel sorry or yourself. Just get on with the job. Have a laugh with the blokes and if you want to feel sorry for yourself you can do it when you get back.