Prince Harry has put his children at risk after his comments about killing 25 members of Taliban in his memoir, it has been claimed.
The Duke of Sussex has sparked fury after revealing how many people he killed during his tour of Afghanistan, with military experts and veterans slamming his decision to speak out.
In a leaked extract from his memoir Spare, to be released on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex says: “When I found myself plunged in the heat and confusion of combat I didn’t think of those 25 as people.
“They were chess pieces removed from the board."
Chris Phillips, a former Metropolitan Police chief inspector in charge of organising security for high-profile events, said Harry's comments will have a lifetime impact on his family's security, reports the Express.
He said: “Harry’s comments have ensured his family will require 24/7 security for the rest of his life and beyond because he has also placed a target firmly on the back of his children.
“We know Islamic extremists can be patient.”
SAS hero Andy McNab said Harry’s comments were “unwise”, adding “as we have seen for decades, extremists don’t care how they get to targets as long as they do”.
“They have long memories (extremists) and they obviously have people in the US. Harry has made himself more of a target," he said.
"The threats against him will have to be taken seriously everywhere now.”
Top US security expert Kent Moyer agreed, saying Harry has condemned his wife and children to a “lifetime of looking over their shoulders in fear”.
This comes as Harry was accused of making the Invictus Games a target for extremists due to the comments.
Admiral Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy, called Harry "very stupid" for giving details of his Taliban kills.
The retired admiral told the Sunday Mirror the Invictus Games - which were due to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 2023 - will now have "serious security issues" because of their direct connection to Harry.
"The Invictus Games is very much labelled to him and so I would have thought the threat level there will definitely be higher," he told the newspaper.
"There will be serious security issues because of what he said. Measures will have to be put in place to protect the veterans.
"And there will be people who, given half the chance, will want to do something."
The international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, of which the duke is the patron, will now be a prime target for those wanting revenge, Lord West said.
He added: “The Taliban will be reading (Harry's claims about killing fighters and) thinking there's this prince calling us all chess pieces and is quite happy about killing us.
"And there will be a lot of people, I am sure, in Islamic State and other terrorist organisations, who will think this is something which should be avenged."
Harry faced an onslaught of criticism in recent days since the excerpt from his memoir was leaked about the number insurgents he killed as a helicopter pilot.
Colonel Tim Collins, known for a pre-battle speech he made in Iraq, was one of many the many distinguished personnel to criticise the duke's conduct, accusing him of turning against the military - his "other family".
Earlier in the week Col Collins called the revelations in the book "a tragic money-making scam".
In his controversial memoir, Spare, Harry wrote that flying six missions during his second tour of duty on the front line in 2012 to 2013 resulted in "the taking of human lives", of which he was neither proud nor ashamed.
