Prince Harry is to be sent on an equality and diversity training course after being forced to apologise for using racially offensive language, it has emerged.

He was disciplined after a video was made public in which the Prince referred to a fellow officer cadet as “our little Paki friend”. He also likened a comrade to “a raghead” in the film, which was made in 2006 while Harry was a cadet at Sandhurst Military Academy.

Like all recruits Harry was given an initial diversity course lasting a few hours, but commanders have ordered him to brush up his racial awareness.

The news comes after the black stand-up comedian, Stephen K. Amos, claimed on a television show that the Prince had told him: “You don't sound like a black chap.” Amos, a Londoner, said that the Prince made the remark at a comedy event in November to mark the 60th birthday of the Prince of Wales. He said he hoped that Harry had meant it as banter.

The Ministry of Defence would not give details of the training. “The Army has concluded its considerations in relation to this case,” a spokesman said.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “Prince Harry has said sorry for his remarks and has been subjected to normal army disciplinary procedures. The matter is now closed.”

Charles Heyman, a former Army major and now a defence analyst, said that diversity and equality courses were a standard part of military training. He said that the courses intended to show soldiers “that the world is a bit different than they might think, and that it's good manners to treat people the way they would like to be treated themselves”.

Some of the military's racial awareness training is carried out by a part of the Defence Academy known as dblearning, while some is contracted out to private companies.

The Joint Equality and Diversity Training Centre in Shrivenham, Wiltshire, set up in 1998, offers residential workshops of up to five days at which military personnel are taught how to give diversity training to their own units. Serving soldiers are then given instruction by these military trainers.

The structure of the course Harry will attend is unclear, though it is likely to last less than a day. The Ministry of Defence also provides an internet learning course in racial awareness called “Clued Up?”.

The courses are believed to be similar to those offered to other public bodies, and include presentations, videos, discussions and role-playing activities. They intend to make attendees aware of other points of view and reconsider their own prejudices.

The MoD is inviting bids on a contract to provide extensive role-playing training for its staff, at home and abroad. Up to 52 “drama-based interventions” a year are planned at MoD sites including army bases in Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar.

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