London, January 13:

Prince Harry has apologised directly to a Pakistani army officer whom he called a “Paki” in a home video, a newspaper reported today. Harry, whose 2006 video has caused a storm in Britain, telephoned Ahmed Raza Khan - his former fellow-cadet at Sandhurst military school - in Pakistan to “clear the air”, The Sun reported.

In the film, Harry introduces a sleeping Officer Cadet Khan as “our little Paki friend” and tells a white recruit that he looks like a “rag-head” - a derogatory word for Arabs and others who wear turbans.

Decorated at Sandhurst and now a lieutenant in the Pakistani Frontier Regiment, Khan is said to have accepted the Prince’s explanation after a call was set up by a mutual friend. A source close to Harry told The Sun: “Since the footage came to light, Harry’s main concern has been that he may have offended a friend.”

Harry, who has already issued a public apology, is now set to receive a “stern dressing down” from his Commanding Officer, Lt Col Harry Fullerton.

Although Khan’s father, Mohammad Yaq-oob Khan Abassi, has said he “condemned” the words, Harry is unlikely to face disciplinary charges as Khan has not lodged a complaint.