Prince Harry: I Let Myself Down On Vegas Trip

Prince Harry has spoken for the first time about how he believes he let himself down in Las Vegas last year.

The prince has also launched a scathing attack against the media and their treatment of him and his family, calling them an "unstoppable force."

Speaking at Camp Bastion during his five-month tour, Captain Harry Wales argued his naked antics in America's Sin City were "probably a classic example of me being too much 'Army' and not enough 'prince', it's a simple case of that".

The prince was pictured frolicking in the nude with an unnamed woman, and the photos were published on websites around the world, as well as in The Sun newspaper.

"Back home everyone, all my close friends rallied round me and were great," he added.

"At the end of the day I probably let myself down, I let my family down and let other people down, but I was in a private area and there should have been a certain amount of privacy that one should expect."

But the 28-year-old believes some sections of the media behaved irresponsibly when the naked photographs of him emerged: "The papers knew I was going to Afghan anyway. So the way I was treated by them I don't think was acceptable."

A broken news blackout five years ago ended the prince's first tour to Afghanistan.

This time, a different agreement was reached between the Ministry of Defence and the media, one which sits uncomfortably with the co-pilot gunner.

"I never wanted you guys to be out here but there was an agreement made to invite you out on a deal that you, the media, didn't speculate before my deployment. That's the only reason you guys are out here."

Prince Harry says he also excited about becoming an uncle, but is equally unrelenting about the press' handling of the royal parents-to-be.

"Obviously I'm thrilled for both of them, it's about time and I can't wait to be an uncle," he said.

"I think it's very unfair they were forced to publicise it when they were, but that's just the media for you.

"I literally am very, very happy, but I just only hope she and him, but mainly Catherine, gets the necessary protection to allow her, as a mother-to-be, to enjoy the privacy that comes with it. I seriously hope that's going to be able to happen."

The third in line to the throne also accused sections of the press of printing stories that were not true.

"I spoke to them both and didn't send a letter of congratulations like most of the papers said," he said.

"How any of the papers think they know the relationship between myself and my sister-in-law is quite remarkable. But they're wrong as always. But, yeah, I spoke to my brother and her, and they're both very well and very happy, obviously."

Harry also has strong feelings about the opportunities available to him, but not Prince William.

He said: "There is a bit of jealousy and not just because I get to fly this but he'd (William) love to be out here.

"To be honest with you, I don't see why he couldn't. His job out here would be doing Chinook missions, just the same as us.

"No one knows who's in the cockpit, yes he'd get shot at, but, you know, if the guys who are doing the same job as us are being shot at on the ground I don't think there's anything wrong with us being shot as well.

"People back home might have issues with that - but we're not special - the guys out there are, simple as that."

Returning to public life brings with it for Harry a sense of foreboding. His mistrust of the press is firmly entrenched.

"I think it's fairly obvious how far back it goes - to when I was very small," said the prince.

"If there's a story and something's being said about me I want to know what's being said. But all it does is upset me and anger me that people can get away with writing the stuff they do.

"I don't believe there is any such thing as a private life anymore. I'm not going to sit here and whinge.

"Everyone knows about Twitter and the internet. Every single mobile phone has a camera on it now.

"You can't move an inch without someone judging you and I suppose that's just the way life goes.

"It's not helped by media, it's an unstoppable force."