Prince Harry has been reunited with his fellow South Pole adventurers who revealed he has a special skill essential for expeditions – building latrines.
At a welcome home press conference, Harry met up with some of the men and women with whom he trekked across Antarctica to reach the southernmost point of the globe.
Among those on the Walking With The Wounded South Pole 2013 expedition were 12 injured servicemen and women from the UK, US and the Commonwealth – and Harry praised their efforts as an “unbelievable achievement”.
Actor Dominic West took part in the challenge and joined the group that greeted the prince when he arrived at a London hotel.
West said: “He was very much part of the team, he seemed to specialise in building latrines.” Describing the experience of using the toilet built by a prince, the actor said: “Sitting there, looking at the beautiful view thinking ‘this is a royal flush, in every way’.”
Surrounded by his fellow trekkers, Harry said: “Our wounded, injured and sick do not want pity, they simply want to be treated the same way as they were before they were injured – with respect.”
The adventurers faced such extreme weather during their 200-mile odyssey that organisers had to call off the competitive element of the trek. But the UK team and squads from the US and Commonwealth made it to their goal together on Friday, December 13. The challenge was filmed for a documentary to be screened in spring.
Fellow adventurer, Scotsman Duncan Slater, 34, a former sergeant who served with the RAF Regiment, became the first double amputee to reach the South Pole during the trip. He lost both his legs after the vehicle he was travelling in was hit by an improvised explosive device in the Babaji area of Afghanistan in July 2009.
The Team UK member, originally from Muir of Ord, near Inverness, told how he used his prosthetic legs to help the group celebrate.
He said: “They took some champagne out to the pole and I used my legs as a primitive ice bucket and wedged the bottle in there and passed it around.”