How Prince Harry’s 2005 Nazi costume scandal plays out on ‘The Crown’
Prince Harry’s life may be full of controversial moments, but perhaps one of the most infamous is when he wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party.
The Duke of Sussex, now 39, donned the outfit in 2005 for a “natives and colonial” party hosted by Prince William’s friend, Olympic showjumper Richard Meade. Harry was 20 at the time.
The event was chronicled in the final episode of Season 6 of “The Crown,” with a young Harry (played by Luther Ford) wearing a tan shirt with a swastika symbol.
The scandal made headlines at the time, with Harry calling it “probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”
“I’m very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume, and I apologize,” he said in a statement afterward.
In the Netflix drama, Harry tried on costumes with older brother Prince William (Ed McVey) and his then-girlfriend, Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy), at a store.
The Invictus Games founder is shown spotting a beige jacket with the Nazi emblem on a hanger and putting it on.
“Germany had an empire, didn’t they? What about this?” Harry asks aloud.
To which, Kate replied: “I don’t know. Maybe cover the swastika?”
William interjected: “Oh come on, wearing the outfit doesn’t make him a Nazi. Isn’t that the joke?”
The three then headed to the fancy bash, where Harry wore another coat over his ensemble.
However, once he got to the dance floor, two other partygoers secretly photographed him wearing the costume.
Trouble ensues the following day when the Duke of Cambridge sees the photos on the front page of the newspapers.
The rest of the Firm is then informed of the incident as they read the papers. An angry Prince Charles — now king — smashed the china on his table after he saw his son in the news.
Charles’ father, Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce), meanwhile, downplayed the scandal. “Harry was foolish to go to that party dressed in that costume. But he’s bloody unlucky that a fellow guest should go to the newspapers like that,” he said in the episode.
Philip then admitted he telephoned the costume store and yelled at the employees.
However, Philip didn’t express his ire over the staff renting Harry the outfit, but for the shirt’s inaccurate historical background.
“The German Africa Korps never wore swastikas,” Philip said, rolling his eyes as he explained that the costume was essentially not reminiscent of a 1940s Nazi solder.
At dinner with Charles, Harry and William, the latter chastised his younger brother for the scandal.
“You were all for the uniform, egging me on,” Harry scoffed. “Suddenly you’re Mr. Morality. Stabbing me in the back . . . how many faces does this man have?”
“I’m not sure I like who you’re turning into,” William clapped back.
“Not sure I like who you’ve been,” Harry slammed.
Another scene featured Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) mulling over the issue with Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“We all make mistakes in the flashes of youth,” Blair noted. The monarch sternly responded: “Rarely as gross a misjudgment as this.”
Blair added: “There’s a great deal of affection in the country for Harry. An apology followed by a period of contrition should pave the way for forgiveness.”
In the Invictus Games founder’s 2023 memoir “Spare,” Harry penned that Will and Kate were supportive of his costume at the time.
“I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said. They both howled,” he claimed. “Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”
