Prince Harry has delivered a heartbreaking account of the sense of neglect he experienced from the Royal Family amid his battle with mental health issues.
The Duke of Sussex bares his soul in the 2023 Netflix documentary, Heart of Invictus, a revealing five-part series, where he talks candidly about the deeply personal moments of his life.
He discusses losing his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just a child and the ensuing psychological challenges he faced during his deployment to Afghanistan.
In a particularly poignant disclosure to viewers, Harry offers a glimpse into life after Diana’s death, and the consequent mental health issues he suffered.
He claims that there was a lack of a supportive structure within the Royal establishment to help him cope with his troubles after the tragedy.
Laying his emotions bare, the Prince shares the moment he realised he needed professional help. Recalling a moment he found himself curled up in the foetal position, Harry expressed regret over not seeking help sooner.
He said: “Unfortunately, like me, the first time you really consider therapy is when you’re lying on the floor in the foetal position, probably wishing that you’d dealt with some of this stuff previously. And that’s what I really want to change.”
The Duke labelled his time in Afghanistan as a turning point for his mental health issues. He said: “After returning from Afghanistan in 2012, there was an unravelling, with triggers from my childhood surfacing.
“Losing my mum at such a young age caused trauma that was never addressed. I suppressed those feelings and, like many young people, never really spoke about them. But when it all came fizzing out, I was overwhelmed, feeling everything rather than being numb.”
The series gives viewers an intimate look at Harry and Meghan’s experiences during the 2022 Invictus Games in the Netherlands.
The project shines a light on the journeys and resilience of the participants, while also delving into the extensive preparations behind the games – a cause close to Harry’s heart since its inception in 2014, marking ten years since they began.
