British Royal Family news reveals that in the first episode of his mental health docuseries The Me You Can’t See co-created with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry reflects on the death of his mother Princess Diana, and the anxiety as well as anger he experienced in the years after.
Royal Family News: Princess Diana Dies
Harry spoke candidly about his mother’s death, caused by a car crash, reflecting on how he felt like a 12-year-old who had just lost his mum.
Recalling the heart-breaking moment where 15-year-old Prince William and 12-year-old Prince Harry walked behind their mother’s coffin in 1997
The Duke of Sussex told Oprah, “For me, the thing I remember the most was the sound of the horses’ hooves going along The Mall, the red brick road. By this point, both of us were in shock. It was like I was outside of my body and just walking along doing what was expected of me, showing one-tenth of the emotion that everybody else was showing.”
He continued that though he was aware of the public’s love for the Princess of Wales he couldn’t help thinking, “This is my mum. You never even met her,” adding that he felt angry that there wasn’t any justice, “The same people that chased her into the tunnel photographed her dying on the backseat of that car.”
Royal Family News: Prince Harry Held In His Feelings
The Duke of Sussex revealed that he was never forthcoming with his feelings about his mother or anxieties related to royal life.
Harry also said that never really spoke about his mother or his feelings for many years, always responding with “fine,” if asked how he was doing. But he added that he wasn’t really fine, revealing that he was “all over the place mentally” and that he’d experience anxiety before attending royal engagements.
He admitted that every time he got into a car or saw a camera flash he’d freak out, “Before I even left the house, I was pouring with sweat and my heart raced. I was in a fight-or-flight mode. Panic attacks, severe anxiety. And from 28 to probably 32 was a nightmare time in my life.”
Royal Family News: Prince Harry Is In Therapy
Having tried to bury his feelings for many years, he added that he is now healing through therapy and by being honest about how he feels.
The 36-year-old who suffered in silence for a long time revealed that he was willing to numb the feelings with alcohol or drugs.
After several years of dealing with inner turmoil, the ex-royal who stepped back from royal life with Meghan Markle last year has now healed himself with therapy – which he began four years ago, adding that, “The only way to free yourself and break out is, to tell the truth.”
The Me You Can’t See, a show delving into mental health and emotional well-being has premiered on Apple TV+ on May 21st and features several well-known faces including Lady Gaga and Glenn Close opening up about their own struggles with mental health.