Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have opened up about the pressures of living in the spotlight,
and their public revelations allegedly have Prince William worried.
British News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby gained exclusive access to the Duke and Duchess of
Sussex during their recent royal tour of southern Africa for ITV documentary, Meghan & Harry:
An African Journey.
Reflecting on his mother's death and the fear that history may repeat itself, Prince Harry
told Bradby,
"I will always protect my family, and now I have a family to protect."
He added:
"Every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see
a flash, it takes me straight back…Everything that she [Diana] went through, and what happened
to her, is incredibly important every single day, and that is not me being paranoid, that
is just me not wanting a repeat of the past."
The pressure of Harry's public life seems to have affected his mental health.
He described his coping mechanisms as a matter of, quote, "constant management."
"I thought I was out of the woods, and then suddenly it all came back and suddenly I realized
this is something I have to manage."
Harry said he'd done his best to put on a brave face, but:
"For me and for my wife, you know, of course there's a lot of stuff that hurts.
Especially when the majority of it is untrue."
This comes just weeks after he issued a statement calling out the media for being, quote, "malicious
and false."
He also announced he and his wife were taking a break from royal duties.
According to the BBC, a Kensington Palace source has said that Prince William is worried
about his brother, and is said to be hoping the couple are in a good place after sharing
their struggles so publicly.
The palace source said there was a view that the couple was under pressure and suggested
a, quote, "mood of concern, for the safety of the couple."
Both Prince William and Prince Harry have always been very passionate about mental health
and have worked hard to challenge the stigma and open up the conversation in the UK and
around the world.
In May 2019, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle joined forces
to back mental health initiative Shout with £3m from their royal foundation, according
to the BBC.
The UK's first 24/7 free text service is for anyone in crisis.
The website states:
"It's a place to go if you're struggling to cope and you need immediate help."
However, the BBC explained that the couples later announced their charitable foundation
would split, but they vowed to continue working together on issues like mental health.
Despite Prince Harry bravely acknowledging his struggles and setting an example for mental
health sufferers by opening up so publicly, the BBC reported a source said that Prince
William was "furious" with his brother after the documentary aired last Sunday.
Over the past few months, the tabloids have speculated that there is currently a rift
between the brothers, and Prince Harry did not shy away from the camera when asked about
it during filming.
In the ITV special, Harry admitted that like any brothers, he and William have "good days"
and "bad days."
Acknowledging reports of tensions between the brothers, Harry, the Duke of Sussex said,
"Part of this role and part of this job, this family being under the pressure that it's
under, inevitably stuff happens."
He went on to say they still have a bond, though:
"We're brothers, we'll always be brothers.
We are certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him
and as I know he will always be there for me."
In reference to their different paths, the BBC notes,
"One of the ways the brothers have diverged is in their attitude to the media."
William allegedly understands the role of the media, while Harry does not agree with
the way the tabloids report on the royal family, and more specifically, how they report on
his wife.
BBC Royal Correspondent Johnny Dymond said outright:
"The relationship between William and Harry is irreparably changed."
According to sources close to the palace, the worry for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's
wellness doesn't end with Prince William, with many other members of the royal family
concerned.
Dymond concluded:
"The echoes of the unhappy Diana-Charles years are loud, and getting louder."
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