Prince Harry opens up on Diana's death

  • 26/07/2016
(Screenshot)
(Screenshot)

Prince Harry has given a rare insight into the trauma he suffered after the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

He told those at a mental health charity event that he really regrets not talking about losing his mother until three years ago.

In the grounds of the home he once shared with his mother, Prince Harry hosted a collection of sporting champions who've all had mental health issues.

To footballer Rio Ferdinand, who lost his wife to cancer last year, he revealed the impact of losing Princess Diana.

"Everything can be okay - but I really regret not ever talking about it. For the first 28 years of my life I never talked about it," he said.

The event was for a charity he, William and Kate helped set up to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

"It's not weakness - I believe weakness is realising an issue in yourself and not sorting it," Harry said.

He was still a young boy when his mother died - just 12 years old - and it was a profound loss he struggled to speak about until three years ago.

Shelley Gilbert, who works with bereaved children, believes the Prince's candidness is invaluable.

"With Prince Harry talking, especially [about] something we so personally identify with - the death of Princess Diana - for him, as a man [and] as a prince, to say this publically, it's a very, very difficult subject," she said.

After a game of French cricket, the Prince explained how coming together was key.

"Whether you're a white van driver or an Olympian, it actually makes no difference - because what you've had to go through [makes us all] unbelievably similar to each other," he said.

By opening up about his own grief, the Prince's aim was to change the way we think about mental wellbeing - by losing the feelings of fear and shame, and offering more support.

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