Princes call polo friend Sooty 'and he doesn't take offence'

PRINCE CHARLES and his sons call a close friend of Indian descent "Sooty", it was revealed today.

It plunges the royal family into a second race row days after St James's Palace apologised for Harry using the term "Paki" about a fellow cadet at Sandhurst.

The three princes have called fellow Cirencester Polo Club member Kolin Dhillon the "affectionate nickname" for at least 15 years.

Sources at the club said they use the nickname for millionaire property developer Mr Dhillon, 58, "every time they meet". He is said to be close to other members of the royal family who also refer to him by the name.

He is understood not to take offence at its use.

However, neighbours near Mr Dhillon's home in Coates, near Cirencester, said no one outside the polo fraternity called him Sooty.

His wife said: "We have absolutely nothing to say about this matter." A former chairman of the Schools and Universities Polo Association, Mr Dhillon is an "upstanding and integral" member of the Cirencester club, according to its spokesman John Lloyd.

His son Satnam, 31, is a professional polo player who has played for England.A insider at the schools' association, who has known Mr Dhillon for years, said: "He has been called Sooty for as long as I remember. The princes and other royalty have called him that since I first met him, and that was about 15 or 16 years ago.

"The call him Sooty every time they meet, and he's never upset about that. It's an affectionate nickname."

Mr Dhillon once described Harry, 24, as an "exceptionally talented" polo player.

A spokesman for Clarence House said Charles was not racist, adding: "No one has been more of an advocate for the understanding and tolerance of various religious and ethnic groups than the Prince of Wales and his track record speaks volumes on this issue."

Royal insiders said the nickname Sooty was long-standing and had not been invented by Charles or his sons.

Charles stopped playing polo in 2005 because of a bad back but William, 26, and Harry still regularly play at Cirencester.

A member of the CPC, who asked not to be named, said the name Sooty had been introduced to put "two fingers up" to political correctness.

He added: "Charles, along with both of his boys, have called this chap Sooty because it is his nickname and he is perfectly comfortable with it.

"I suppose we all see this as a sort of running joke about political correctness." The source said it showed the fuss over Harry's comments was "nonsense". He said of the royal family: "They are no more racists than I am."

Aides are caught up in a fresh damage limitation exercise following the fallout from video footage released showing Harry calling fellow Army cadet Ahmed Raza Khan "my little Paki friend".

Harry's comments were said to have been made without malice, but his behaviour has been condemned by Captain Khan's family and race charities. The Prime Minister and other politicians welcomed his apology.

Captain Khan, who is back in his native Pakistan, is understood to have accepted an apology from Harry over the telephone.

Harry faces a dressing-down from his superiors and the video could trigger a full probe into whether the Army has a racist "barrack-room culture".

In January 2005, Harry faced worldwide condemnation for wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy-dress party.