Prince Harry (fourth right) arrives back in the UK after the completion of his 20-week tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The royal defended his controversial public admission that he has killed Taliban fighters after touching down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

He said it was part of a job "you would expect to do" after he was criticised by security experts for his remarks. The 28-year-old prince, an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner, said: "I think for the thousands of guys that are on operations at the moment, we are continuing, essentially, to try and do a job. A job for ourselves, a job for the guys left and right of us, and from my point of view, especially for the guys on the ground."

Picture: John Stillwell/PA