Channel 4’s Prince Harry film insults sacrifice made by troops, says Army chief
Britain's defence chief today demanded that Channel 4 ditch plans to show a documentary on Prince Harry's "abduction" in Afghanistan.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, took the highly unusual step of writing to the TV channel urging it not to broadcast a "dramatised documentary" on what would happen if Prince Harry were to be taken prisoner in the war-torn country.
Military chiefs are furious and have accused Channel 4 of "failing in their duty to respect the sacrifices that our armed forces and their families make on behalf of the whole country".
The 90-minute film, The Taking Of Prince Harry, features former hostages and intelligence experts. It will be shown at 9pm on Thursday.
A defence source said Sir Jock argued in a letter to Channel 4's chairman, Lord Burns, that the programme would be distressing for service families and potentially undermine the security and morale of troops in Afghanistan.
The source added: "If Channel 4 goes ahead, as looks likely, they will fail in their duty to respect the sacrifices that our armed forces and their families make on behalf of the whole country. They will no doubt say this is a serious journalistic exercise but no responsible broadcaster would treat such a serious subject as the morale of our brave service personnel with such casual disregard."
Another military insider said: "This is just typical Channel 4, I just hope that the programme generates record complaints."
The programme includes scenes showing Harry, played by Sebastian Reid, being held behind enemy lines while negotiations take place to free him.
An unloaded gun is pointed at his face before one of his captors pulls the trigger. He is forced to appear in Taliban and al Qaeda propaganda.
The Prince, who served in Afghanistan's Helmand province in 2008 as a forward air controller, is also shown being confronted by a British-born radical Islamist. The film also deals with how the Government's approach to hostage negotiations differs from other nations.
A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: "We have written to Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup replying to his concerns. It is a legitimate subject for documentary to explore the risks that Prince Harry faces as a high value target, and to seek to understand the full nature of the dangers to a royal in the modern theatre of war as well as the political implications of a high-profile kidnap."
Prince William hopes to see active service in Afghanistan despite being banned on security grounds. The RAF search-and-rescue pilot said: "I still have hope and faith and a real determination to go out there."
