Prince Harry defended gay veteran from homophobic bullying in army: 'He told them off and they left me alone'
Prince Harry once rescued a former British soldier from homophobic bullying by fellow soldiers. Speaking to Forces Network, James Wharton, the first openly-gay serviceman to be featured in SOLDIER Magazine, recounted how Prince Harry once defended him against homophobic taunts when the Duke of Sussex was his tank commander back in 2008.
“I'd got myself into a bit of a situation with some soldiers from another regiment and, essentially, they didn't like the fact I was gay," Wharton told the outlet. "They were sort of chest poking me and making me feel quite uncomfortable."
Harry reportedly saw Wharton was “clearly affected by something" when he returned to his tank and proceeded to ask him what the problem was. "I told him that there were a couple of soldiers outside who weren't very happy with the fact I was gay,” the serviceman told Forces Network.
According to Wharton, Harry was “quite offended that his gunner was being picked on by these people” and went out to defend him against them.
“And the problem went away,” he recalled. "He told them off and they left me alone."
Wharton added that Prince Harry was a "good officer" and was "well-liked" by almost everyone.
Prince Harry is famous for his philanthropic efforts and has publicly been an ally to the LGBTQ community.
Last week, the Duke of Sussex announced that he and his wife Duchess Meghan Markle have decided to "step back" from their roles as “senior members” of the royal family and that they will be splitting their time between the UK and North America.
"We intend to step back as senior members of the royal family and work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen," they wrote on Instagram. "It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment."