Latest:

17:22 Super-sub Long heads Ireland to victory
17:22 Harlequins crowned champions
17:22 Girl's royal design takes to skies
17:21 Second body found in Indian river
16:52 Hundreds celebrate birth of Church
16:50 Anti-cuts 'party' in Clegg's street
16:50 Miliband warning on Afghan pullout
16:50 Action on discrimination urged

Prince Charles calls Asian pal 'Sooty'

Tuesday, 13 January 2009

Britain's Prince Charles attends a polo match at the Beaufort Polo Club

enlarge

The Royal family found themselves caught up in a new race row today after it emerged the Prince of Wales has been calling an Asian friend by the nickname "Sooty".

Charles has been referring to Kolin Dhillon by the moniker for years whenever they meet at Cirencester Polo club where they are both members, according to a source.

Princes William and Harry also play at the club, which is close to their father's Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, but the source was not aware of the young royals using the nickname.

The development comes a few days after Harry was widely condemned for calling a former Army colleague "Paki".

Prime Minister Gordon Brown branded the comment unacceptable and the Prince, an officer in the Household Cavalry Regiment, faces a dressing down from his commanding officer.

The source said Mr Dhillon was "comfortable" with the nickname which Charles uses but when William and Harry were boys they referred to the player by his surname and Christian name.

The use of the word is at odds with Charles' interest in Britain's wide ranging ethnic minority community and his championing of inter-faith dialogue.

Graham Smith, campaign manager for the organisation Republic, said: "I think it goes to show the royal family are not a symbol of unity, it's not something we can rally around, they're quite divisive.

"People are saying they are not racist but on the evidence in the public domain I think that's to the contrary.

"It also shows how hugely out of touch they are and that they live in a very isolated world, only mixing with a certain kind of person."

Harry was caught on film three years ago referring to former Pakistani platoon member Ahmed Raza Khan as "our little Paki friend".

A St James' Palace spokesman said the 24-year-old Prince was "extremely sorry" for the comment and stressed that he had been speaking to a friend without malice.

But the soldier's father, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Abbasi, has accused Harry, who is third in line to the throne, of using a "hate word" against his son.

The Sun newspaper reported that the Prince had personally apologised to his former Army colleague but St James' Palace would not comment on the article.

When asked about Charles' use of the nickname Sooty both Clarence House and Cirencester Polo Club declined to comment.

The Telegraph newspaper's Mandrake column first reported that Charles had been calling Mr Dhillon Sooty, but it also quoted an anonymous Cirencester polo club member as saying William and Harry also used the nickname.

Clarence House later issued a statement which said: "We are not going to comment about a nickname which allegedly is used in a particular club.

"To imply the Princes are racist is ridiculous. Through their charity work all three of them are committed to helping people both in the UK and abroad regardless of who they are."

Print
Text Size
- Normal
- Large
- Extra Large

Get real. I am an Irish republican and we have been called micks and paddys' for generations.
The Welsh have been called Taffys and the English limeys amd Poms.

They are terms in common usage and I certainly dont find them racist.

Posted by Martin | 19.01.09, 17:24 GMT

What a load of nonsense, in my lifetime I have been called a "big Prod", Orange this or that, Mick, Paddy and other Irish related names by my friends both here in Canada and at home in Ulster all good natured banter.
It's time people got their sense of humour back, if an individual is not offended by a particular nickname what business is it of anyone, Brown, Cameron, the media the lot.
Alwyn

Posted by Alwyn | 14.01.09, 01:32 GMT

I can't help but wonder what this world is coming to. "Harry" is a young man, in the army, as I see it there was absolutely no disrespect intended when he called his friend "paki", I have grandchildren the same age, and believe me, most of the language they use to each other goes a lot further than that. This is a different age, and as long as there is no disrespect or offence on the other side, who are we to condemn him. Charles, apparently has been calling his friend by a nickname for years, the friend is not offended, so where does this all end? I have been called many nicknames since coming to Canada whenever people realized I was from Belfast, it didn't bother me, so why don't all you "politically correct" individuals who think you are speaking for the rest of us, just shut up, and if the recipients of these "nicknames" think nothing of it, neither should we. There are far, far more important issues to deal with in this day and age.

Posted by mary | 14.01.09, 00:48 GMT

What's the matter calling his friend Sooty? The key word is friend, and I am sure the friend can call him Big Ears if he wants. The media and Comedians have always been slagging Charles off about his ears, height, and hair. So what? Nobody allolwed to jopke anymore. I am sick and tired of all these boring do-gooders who make life more miserable with their fussy rules. If Sooty is upset, I'm sure he will make a complaint first and foremost. If not, butt out of other people's business.

Posted by canuck | 13.01.09, 23:12 GMT

@ Chalky White, "if everyone is Ok and it doesnt cause offence."

Well not everyone is okay with it are they? That's why this is in the paper. It's remarkable the royals are so out of touch they put themselves in the position, they need a decent PR person. Their casual racism has been highlighted over the last few days. It's a good thing we don't have any real idea what the royals are like as people, I suspect if we did then society would be less interested in them as head of state.

Some people want to live in a society where racist terms like 'paki' and the laughable 'sooty' are ancient history.... along with this outdated bunch of parasites.

Posted by roy | 13.01.09, 22:15 GMT

I think that people are too happy to cause trouble!!!!!!!!! If the two men in question dont mind being called Paki and Sooty then why should anyone else get so concerned about it?? These are friends of the two Princes after all and its just a bit of friendly fun nothing else and thats how it should be taken!!!!! I am a white woman and if someone called me a honkey it would not bother me!!!!!!!!

Posted by Joanne Carnell | 13.01.09, 22:11 GMT

I have a friend in Ireland who calls me his Aussie mate...should I come over all offended because of this...as Chalky White says...some people are way too precious.

Posted by lyn | 13.01.09, 21:05 GMT