In his biography “Spare” (German title: “Reserve”), Prince Harry (38) not only grabs his first time, Princes Penises, brother Prince William (40) and stepmother Camilla (75). The dropout royal and trained helicopter pilot also shares Stories from his military days.
“I’m stunned by this. I’m even in shock!” Says Prince Harry’s former army flight instructor. The reason? Once again the truth content.
That not everything happened as the son of King Charles III. (74) describes in his scandal biography is now clear. Several of his fairy tale (an Xbox he supposedly got as a gift years before launch, a plane ticket that never existed, or his memory of the death of his great-grandmother, Queen Mum) have already been debunked. With evidence.
Now Harry’s former army trainer Michael Booley (57) is also speaking up. Because he also appears in Harry’s book – with a story that makes the man’s hair stand on end.
During one of the first joint training flights in 2009, Booley is said to have intentionally brought a propeller plane (“Slingsby T67 Firefly”) to a standstill in the air, the prince recalls in his book. And without warning.
Prince Harry (right) in February 2009 with his then instructor Michael Booley
“I felt the left wing collapse, an uncomfortable feeling of disarray,” writes Harry. “Then, after a few seconds that felt like decades, he retrieved the plane and realigned the wings.”
Harry stared at him and asked in bewilderment: “What on earth…? Was that a failed suicide attempt?” “No,” his trainer told him gently. “That was the next step in my education.”
In Germany, Harry’s biography was published under the “Reserve” (original title: “Spare”)
At least that’s how Harry remembers the incident. And that’s exactly the problem.
“Unfortunately, the memories of the missions and lessons are inaccurate,” the ex-sergeant, who was on the training plane with Harry to simulate an engine failure, told the British “ Mirror“. And further: “It is important to emphasize that nothing in the cockpit is a surprise.”
Each assignment is thoroughly discussed beforehand. “Every single aspect,” points out Harry’s former instructor, who served in the military for 33 years. “The mission will then be flown exactly according to this briefing.” Later in the curriculum there would be one or two surprises, according to the 57-year-old. “But not, as stated in the book, when emergencies are taught.”
Prince Harry’s memories often do not match those of those involved, about whom he writes in his biography
Booley believes Harry’s flying missions were “dramatized” for his book. “I think it’s a result of ghostwriting.”
The prince wrote his memoirs with the help of Commissioned author JR Moehringer (59) written. He already protected Harry (and himself) with a quote from Mary Karr’s “The Art of Memoir”. He tweeted, “The line between memory and fact is blurred between interpretation and fact.”
Useful to those who appear in Harry’s book with half-truths, but also nothing. And so Michael Booley makes it clear about his time with Harry: “I never saw him Lt. called Wales. He was an officer and I called him sir.”
On his Facebook page, Harry’s former trainer is unhappy that his statements have caused such a stir in the British press. He would have been partially misquoted, he suddenly writes. He has never said anything “disparaging” about Prince Harry.
“I also made it absolutely clear that Harry was an exceptional student and I had nothing but the utmost respect for him,” said Michael Booley. “I pointed out some inaccuracies in the book, particularly around the flying missions, but always felt that those were probably not Harry’s – and given the fact that the book was ghost-written, were most likely dramatized. ”