A journalist has told a royal podcast that he apologised to Prince Harry after a tense exchange stemming from leaked footage in which the prince used a racial slur at Sandhurst.
The 2009 clip showed Harry addressing fellow cadet Ahmed Raza Khan with a highly offensive term directed at people of South Asian background.
The footage caused a major backlash at the time and has remained a sensitive episode in Harry’s past.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive podcast, Jobson recalled Harry accusing him of having a “secret camera” that captured the moment.
Jobson says he fired back, suggesting the tape had come from the prince’s circle, then later apologised — including for calling Harry “mate,” which he said was inappropriate.
Jobson also remembered meeting Harry on a flight from New Zealand after breaking a story that the prince was leaving the Army.
He said Harry spoke about plans to support servicemen and women with prosthetics and that, while prickly, he came across as sincere.
In his memoir Spare, Harry addressed the incident directly, saying he had heard the offensive word often as a child and did not understand its hurtful nature.
He described himself at 21 as insulated by privilege and not fully aware of the impact of his language.
Harry has said his father’s office issued a statement after the episode and that he was advised against issuing his own.
He later contacted the colleague involved to apologise; the colleague forgave him, but Harry wrote that the pardon left him feeling worse rather than absolved.
The episode remains a reminder of how words from public figures can resurface years later and continue to shape reputations and public debate.
