Prince Harry has said the sacrifices made by British and other Nato troops in Afghanistan “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect,” weighing into a growing trans-Atlantic row sparked by comments from US President Donald Trump questioning the frontline role of non-US forces during the war.
Harry speaks from personal experience
Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan with the British Army, underscored the human cost of the conflict and the contribution of US allies following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed,” he said.
“Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.”
In a further statement addressing the broader impact of the war, Harry added: “Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.”
Trump comments trigger backlash
The intervention from Prince Harry followed remarks by Trump suggesting that troops from non-US Nato countries avoided frontline combat in Afghanistan.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said: “We’ve never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
Trump also questioned whether Nato allies would support the United States if called upon, comments that provoked widespread anger in Britain.
Starmer condemns remarks as ‘insulting’ and ‘appalling’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer led the political response, paying tribute to those who served and died in Afghanistan and signalling that Trump should apologise.
“I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country,” Starmer said. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”
Starmer later added that if he had made similar remarks himself, “I would certainly apologise and I’d apologise to her,” referring to a bereaved parent affected by the comments.
Britain’s role in Afghanistan
After the 9/11 attacks, then prime minister Tony Blair pledged that the UK would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the United States. British forces played a central role in the Nato-led mission, particularly in Helmand Province, until their withdrawal in 2014. More than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan, making the UK the largest contributor after the US.
Ben Obese-Jecty, a British lawmaker who served in Afghanistan as a captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, said it was “sad to see our nation’s sacrifice, and that of our Nato partners, held so cheaply by the president of the United States.”
Wider Nato tensions
The controversy has revived broader concerns over Trump’s repeated criticism of Nato allies. His claim that alliance members would not come to the US’s aid contrasts with the fact that Nato’s Article 5 — the mutual defence clause — was invoked for the first and only time after 9/11.
“When America needed us after 9/11 we were there,” former Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen said.
Denmark, a close US ally, lost 44 soldiers in Afghanistan, the highest per capita death toll among coalition forces.
Voices of those affected
Anger has also been fuelled by Trump’s personal history, with critics noting he did not serve in the Vietnam War despite being eligible.
“It’s hugely ironic that someone who allegedly dodged the draft for the Vietnam War should make such a disgraceful statement,” said Stephen Stewart, author of The Accidental Soldier.
Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson was severely injured by a land mine in Afghanistan in 2006, described Trump’s remarks as “the ultimate insult.”
“Call him out,” she said. “Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag, because it’s just beyond belief.”
As diplomatic tensions linger, Prince Harry’s comments have added a personal and moral dimension to the debate, reframing it around the lived experience of those who served and the enduring cost borne by military families.