Prince Harry In Nazi Garb Flap

Prince Harry apologized Wednesday night after a tabloid newspaper printed a picture of him wearing a Nazi soldier's uniform to a costume party.

Early editions of Thursday's issue of "The Sun," showed Prince Harry - the second son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana - clutching a cigarette and a drink and wearing a swastika armband.

Asked to comment on the photo, the 20-year-old prince issued a statement saying he is "very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone... It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize."

The Queen's former assistant press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, said he was "astounded" to hear that "a member of the Royal Family, albeit a young member of the Royal Family, can be so incredibly stupid, given that he has had a first class education."

"We are constantly reminded of what happened sixty years ago during the Holocaust - you cannot but know what happened - and yet he can dress up like that and go to a party and be photographed," the former Buckingham Palace press officer said in an interview with Sky News.

Robert Johnson, royal correspondent for the "Evening Standard" in London, told The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler, "I don't think to issue a statement of apology is enough. This is an outrageous mistake by Prince Harry. ...A lot of the (members of Parliament) over here, including the leader of the opposition, who is Jewish, have strongly condemned Prince Harry and said he should make a proper apology, either on television or radio, and show that he actually means it.

"(His act) shows a complete lack of judgement, and I'm sure many people, Jewish families and other people, not even Jewish, people over here in Britain, and in America, would think this is madness."

Jeff Barak, deputy editor of the London-based Jewish Chronicle, also described the incident as "shocking and astounding."

"I can't see why he would find it amusing to dress up as a Nazi," said Barak, also on Sky News. "I think it is very disturbing that he would chose to do so, and particularly given we are three weeks away from Holocaust Memorial Day, it really is shocking and astounding."

The young prince has been a favorite topic of the tabloids in the past few years, reporting on his love life, alleged misadventures and scrapes with propriety, including a scuffle with a photographer last October and an accusation from a former teacher at Eton College who claims she was ordered to help him cheat his way through an important examination.

Prince Harry is currently enrolled at the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, where he is in training for a career as an officer in the army.

He is third in line for the throne.