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PM praises Prince Harry for talking about his mental health

Prince Harry has been praised by Theresa May after revealing he sought counselling to come to terms with the death of his mother.
Prince Harry

Prince Harry has been praised by Theresa May after revealing he sought counselling to come to terms with the death of his mother

Prince Harry
Prince Harry says that it was not until his mid-twenties that he processed the grief
about his mother's death. Picture: Alamy

The prime minister said his decision to speak out would help 'smash the stigma around mental health' while mental health charity Mind described it as a 'true turning point'.

Prince Harry, who was 12 when Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash, said it was not until his late twenties that he processed his grief.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the prince, now 32, said he spent almost 20 years not thinking about her death and eventually got help after two years of 'total chaos'.

New approach

Responding to his comments, Ms May said: 'Mental health problems affect people of all ages and all backgrounds.The bravery of those in public positions who speak out about their experiences helps smash the stigma around mental health and will help thousands of people to realise they are not alone.

'If we are to tackle this injustice, we must forge a new approach that recognises our responsibility to each other, and make mental illness an everyday concern for all of us and in every one of our institutions.'

Prince Harry, who is spearheading the Heads Together mental health campaign alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, admitted that shutting down his emotions after losing his mother had 'a quite serious effect on not only my personal life, but my work as well'.

He said he eventually sought help after his brother told him he needed to deal with his feelings. 'It was 20 years of not thinking about it and two years of total chaos,' he explained.

Inspirational

Mind chief executive Paul Farmer said: 'It's inspiring to see Prince Harry speaking out about his experiences.

'It shows how far we have come in changing public attitudes to mental health that someone so high profile can open up about something so difficult and personal.

'We know that this will have a huge effect on people who are still struggling in silence with their mental health – every time someone in the public eye speaks up we know that it encourages ordinary members of the public to do the same.

'Prince Harry speaking so candidly is a true turning point that shows that as a society we must no longer adopt a "stiff upper lip" attitude and that we need to talk openly about mental health.'

London Marathon charity of the year

Heads Together, an umbrella organisation for mental health charities, is the London Marathon's charity of the year.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who hope the race will be known as 'the mental health marathon', will hand out medals on the finish line at the Mall on Sunday.


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