What exactly is wrong with having a colonial and native fancy dress party.
People have fancy dress parties all the time with worse themes than that.
I have been to a bad taste party where someone dressed up as Princess Diana - complete with steering wheel over the head.
The idea of a party like that is to go as something outrageous - the more outrageous the better.
To turn what a 20-year-old does at party into an issue about republicanism in Australia is a very long bow to draw.
He is a young man enjoying himself like most young men. Maturity will come, when and if he becomes king.
Political correctness is now ruining having a party.

The Prince has every right to dress up like a Nazi. And everyone else has the right to say it is offensive. The British Jewish community and others were exercising their right to free speech. And if he can't take the consequences of his actions then why should he be allowed other rights as an adult?

And what if someone turned up dressed as the late Princess of Wales, complete with steering wheel, at one of Prince Harry's parties? Would he say "great costume"? Maybe not.

The point is not the costume it is the behaviour of a 20-year-old male.
Grab a video camera and follow around your average 20-year-old for six months (keeping in mind Harry has had cameras on him since the day of his birth.)
He will get drunk almost every weekend, maybe more often if they are at uni or involved in social sport.
They will probably attend parties where they will act up, some might spew, get naked, make fools of themselves, probably have a minor altercation at some stage and wake up plenty of times with a bad hangover and a furry tongue.
Harry comes from a life of privilege yet when he acts like a normal youth, having fun and partying, he is vilified and used as an excuse for Australia to become a republic.
I wager that if he was a snooty, stuffed shirt prince who was living the perfect royal life it would also be used as a reason for us to become a republic "Arghh, that Prince Harry acts far too British to be the Australian Head of State, we need a boozer like Bob Hawke."

PS I voted for the republic in the referendum but now realise there are more important issues to spend money on than the quibble over who rules Australia.

Prince Harry's behaviour is definitely irrelevant as far as the republic issue goes. I'd also be offended if Tim Howard started parading around as Hitler - at least I got a chance to vote for his father.

Re: the costume. Prince William's costume was not an issue. It didn't touch a raw nerve like Nazi impersonators do. That is not a leftie thing. British Jews and Israeli representatives, many of whom would not regard themselves as "left" seemed the most offended. I haven't had my family wiped out by uniformed mass murderers so I can't really feel the way they do. But I can imagine it wouldn't be a pleasant reminder.

David,

So we agree that Allison's column was drawing a long bow between a fancy dress Prince and the republlic.

I am sure the costume was offensive to some people, but lots of things people do offend other people. He shouldn't get vilified just because he happens to be a prince. I think the media definitely beat the story up. It was a private party after all.

And besides, the British Tabloids would be out of business if the royals were all tea and biscuits.

"And besides, the British Tabloids would be out of business if the royals were all tea and biscuits."

And you're citing this as a bad consequence Suspect?!

Regards

Jo