Prince Harry Current Events 28: April 2015 - June 2017

[Moonmaiden23]

Totally agree, my friend.

The change is very obvious, imo. I was afraid for him at one point!

 

[Mbruno]

He's done a lot of maturing in the past 3/5 years.

LaRae

How so ? He left the Army and still doesn't have a permanent job or occupation. Recently, at his friend's wedding in the Caribbean, he was seemingly drunk and disoriented, to the point of embarassing his girlfriend. And he still lives mostly a playboy's life.

 

[HRHHermione]

How so ? He left the Army and still doesn't have a permanent job or occupation. Recently, at his friend's wedding in the Caribbean, he was seemingly drunk and disoriented, to the point of embarassing his girlfriend. And he still lives mostly a playboy's life.

I suppose people see what they want to see. His permanent job and occupation is his royal duties, and he has significantly expanded his profile there. Heads together is a great program, and he's the driving force behind the Invictus Games.

He had fun at a friend's wedding in Hawaii with his serious girlfriend- and I don't know how you got "drunk and disoriented and embarrassing" from any of the released photos.

And when was the last time we saw him out at bars and clubs? He seems to have two priorities right now: Royal duties and his girlfriend.

 

[Osipi]

I remember about 4-5 years ago shortly after Harry's infamous escapades in Las Vegas, I came on this Forum and voiced the opinion that something was "off" about him, that he seemed out of control and should probably seek professional help. I also posted that I felt it was something to do with a delayed grief reaction to the loss of his mother

I am relieved that not only that he took his brother William's excellent(imo) advice and sought help, but that he seems happier and more settled now.

I remember that. There was a lot of dismay around that time that Harry had an alcohol problem and was kind of lost at sea when it came to getting his life together. We did eventually find out that Vegas happened right before his deployment to Afghanistan but the signs were still there that there was something amiss with Harry. It makes sense to me now. Alcohol very often is used to mask an underlying problem and when talking alcoholism, its very much the case that the drinking is just the symptom of the disease. In Harry's case perhaps alcohol was used to drown out his problem but the amazing truth is that problems can swim very nicely.

Its not hard to find people in any walk of life that have gone this route. Although alcoholism is a very physical problem in and of itself and very destructive, the majority of an alcoholic's recovery is not just stopping drinking but also examining and realizing the mental health issues that have been drowned out and to face them and deal with them and begin the path to a happier life.

Harry is at an acceptance stage and has found that with his acceptance of himself, warts and all, he's got a very precious gift to give and a global platform on which to do it and that is to reach out to anyone that will listen and heed his advice on how to deal with inner turmoil. That, m'friends, is the courage to change the things he can.

My statements here are in no way suggesting that Harry is an alcoholic but pointing out that his use of alcohol may have been a crutch to avoid addressing deeper issues.

 

[Pranter]

Totally agree, my friend.

The change is very obvious, imo. I was afraid for him at one point!

Yes, me too. Seemed to go thru a very self destructive phase there for awhile.


LaRae

 

[Pranter]

I suppose people see what they want to see. His permanent job and occupation is his royal duties, and he has significantly expanded his profile there. Heads together is a great program, and he's the driving force behind the Invictus Games.

He had fun at a friend's wedding in Hawaii with his serious girlfriend- and I don't know how you got "drunk and disoriented and embarrassing" from any of the released photos.

And when was the last time we saw him out at bars and clubs? He seems to have two priorities right now: Royal duties and his girlfriend.

Well said.


LaRae

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I suppose people see what they want to see. His permanent job and occupation is his royal duties, and he has significantly expanded his profile there. Heads together is a great program, and he's the driving force behind the Invictus Games.

He had fun at a friend's wedding in Hawaii with his serious girlfriend- and I don't know how you got "drunk and disoriented and embarrassing" from any of the released photos.

And when was the last time we saw him out at bars and clubs? He seems to have two priorities right now: Royal duties and his girlfriend.

Agrees! And he deserves the praise he has received from the media and others (both before and after this interview), but I think people should remember that Charles, Camilla and William, do as much to help others (if not more) and deserves just as much praise as Harry.

 

[Cocoasneeze]

What a wonderful interview. Harry deserves a lot of praise for opening up about his personal life in order to remove the stigma around mental health issues.

 

[Dman]

I'm glad so far there's been no blowback from Harry's interview. It takes guts to be this open. Catherine opened up in her speech and she did get some blowback from being candid about her experience with motherhood.

 

[Rudolph]

I'm glad so far there's been no blowback from Harry's interview. It takes guts to be this open..

Plenty of blowback on social media and the Guardian has a snarky article, but that always happens

Basically, Harry's too 'privileged' to really know what people go through.

 

[Pranter]

I'm glad so far there's been no blowback from Harry's interview. It takes guts to be this open. Catherine opened up in her speech and she did get some blowback from being candid about her experience with motherhood.

It's the double standard really. Women are expected to just somehow 'know' how to be a mom and figure it all out. There's no real expectation of men in popular culture, in fact it's pretty much assumed that men are clueless about taking care of an infant and therefore excused if they openly say as much.


LaRae

 

[Cocoasneeze]

Plenty of blowback on social media and the Guardian has a snarky article, but that always happens

Basically, Harry's too 'privileged' to really know what people go through.

What an immature attitude. No money, no status, no privilege can stop mental health problems. No money, no status and no privilege will make a person willing to receive help, even if it was offered on a silver platter. These blowback attitudes are one reason there still is so much stigma about mental health. Good on Harry for trying to make getting help normal, cool thing to do.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

What a wonderful interview. Harry deserves a lot of praise for opening up about his personal life in order to remove the stigma around mental health issues.

Agrees!

I'm glad so far there's been no blowback from Harry's interview. It takes guts to be this open. Catherine opened up in her speech and she did get some blowback from being candid about her experience with motherhood.

People always complain when the Cambridges does something. Had William given an interview like this, then I am sure he had been criticized for meddling in politics or been accused of only doing it to regain his popularity.

 

[Mbruno]

Plenty of blowback on social media and the Guardian has a snarky article, but that always happens

Basically, Harry's too 'privileged' to really know what people go through.

Rich and "privileged" people always get that kind of backlash when they complain about their lives, or refer to their traumas to justify or explain their past transgressions.

I am not judging anyone here or doubting that Harry has (or has had) legitimate issues in his personal life. Again, I am just saying it is a typical reaction, especially from the left-oriented press, in cases like Harry's, especially when the person in question still seems to live a life of skiing holidays in Norway after flying on the weekend to see his girlfriend or go to his BFF's wedding on another continent.

 

[HRHHermione]

Rich and "privileged" people always get that kind of backlash when they complain about their lives, or refer to their traumas to justify or explain their past transgressions.

I am not judging anyone here or doubting that Harry has (or has had) legitimate issues in his personal life. Again, I am just saying it is a typical reaction, especially from the left-oriented press in cases like Harry's, especially when the person in question still seems to live a life of skiing holidays in Norway after flying on the weekend to see his girlfriend or go to his BFF's wedding on another continent.

None of which prevents a person from experiencing trauma, depression and mental illness. That's why the backlash is so absurd: just as no amount of money can get prevent someone from getting cancer, no amount of money can prevent someone from experiencing grief and mental illness.

It transcends class- it's a part of being human.

 

[Empress Merel]

He's done a lot of maturing in the past 3/5 years.

LaRae

Agreed. He seems much more comfortable and calm now in his 30's.

 

[Dman]

It's the double standard really. Women are expected to just somehow 'know' how to be a mom and figure it all out. There's no real expectation of men in popular culture, in fact it's pretty much assumed that men are clueless about taking care of an infant and therefore excused if they openly say as much.


LaRae

Yeah, I was really taken aback on how people in the media and other women on the net got all twisted out of shape about her speech. People really need to stop putting royals on a moral high ground and realize they too have issues and problems dealing with life. No amount of privilege and titles will help you when real life comes knocking on your door.

I applaud the Cambridge's and Harry for embarking on this journey of mental health and personal issues. It's something not even my country (America) has really touched. This country pretty much drowns its sorrows and mental issues in alcohol, drugs and violence.

 

[Iluvbertie]

And this was all Charles' fault - I have seen a lot of places putting the blame on Charles and Camilla for Harry needing help - while others are saying this is further evidence that Harry and William will throw anyone under the bus if their own popularity is flagging and they don't care who it is. In other words some people are seeing this as an attempt by Harry to bolster his flagging popularity over his girlfriend and this time it is Charles who was to be thrown to the wolves for not doing enough to help his younger son.

 

[HRHHermione]

And this was all Charles' fault - I have seen a lot of places putting the blame on Charles and Camilla for Harry needing help - while others are saying this is further evidence that Harry and William will throw anyone under the bus if their own popularity is flagging and they don't care who it is. In other words some people are seeing this as an attempt by Harry to bolster his flagging popularity over his girlfriend and this time it is Charles who was to be thrown to the wolves for not doing enough to help his younger son.

And I think those folks will find drama anywhere they can. Good parenting, even fantastic parenting, doesn't prevent trauma, grief and depression. Childhood interventions don't always work and young adults often don't seek help right away.

Harry's experiences were normal. I wish the folks responding that way would educate themselves about mental illness.

 

[Osipi]

And this was all Charles' fault - I have seen a lot of places putting the blame on Charles and Camilla for Harry needing help - while others are saying this is further evidence that Harry and William will throw anyone under the bus if their own popularity is flagging and they don't care who it is. In other words some people are seeing this as an attempt by Harry to bolster his flagging popularity over his girlfriend and this time it is Charles who was to be thrown to the wolves for not doing enough to help his younger son.

These attitudes are all the more reason that focus on mental health and programs such as Heads Together are so very important. The stigma is still so severe in the general population that there is always finger pointing and the blame game is modus operandi of the day.

What Harry has gone through and most likely a good percentage of the human race at one time or another is not something to pin on something or someone else but needs to be addressed by the person themselves and find solutions. No person or therapist or court ordered sessions can or will help an individual unless that individual wants it and works for it. The hardest step is realizing that there is a problem. Everything else after that is recovery and healing.

 

[Lady Nimue]

And this was all Charles' fault - I have seen a lot of places putting the blame on Charles and Camilla for Harry needing help - while others are saying this is further evidence that Harry and William will throw anyone under the bus if their own popularity is flagging and they don't care who it is. In other words some people are seeing this as an attempt by Harry to bolster his flagging popularity over his girlfriend and this time it is Charles who was to be thrown to the wolves for not doing enough to help his younger son.

Interesting. I have to admit it was actually my first thought: why did Harry 'need' to do this interview? I flashed on Diana's use of the media to garner sympathy. There is a similar pattern. I would be less inclined to find my mind going in that direction if I saw Harry (and William) as loving and supportive sons of their father. One doesn't see it so it's natural to assume friction. That such an interview would not credit the father, either for insight or support over the years, says something imo. Sad, especially when one sees the inclination to go after Charles.

It's such an old, worn-out story. When will people tire of their animus?

 

[TLLK]

These attitudes are all the more reason that focus on mental health and programs such as Heads Together are so very important. The stigma is still so severe in the general population that there is always finger pointing and the blame game is modus operandi of the day.

What Harry has gone through and most likely a good percentage of the human race at one time or another is not something to pin on something or someone else but needs to be addressed by the person themselves and find solutions. No person or therapist or court ordered sessions can or will help an individual unless that individual wants it and works for it. The hardest step is realizing that there is a problem. Everything else after that is recovery and healing. __________________

Perfectly stated Osipi and I hope that Harry's story will compel someone to seek help for a mental health issue.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I just read the article regarding Harry's problems. The PoW's parenting is spoken of in glowing terms in the aftermath of the tragic death of Diana, how he dusted off old photos of her and invited people who knew his former wife over to talk to her grieving sons about her.

He is said to have put aside his own bad memories of his failed marriage and encouraged his sons to discuss happy times they spent as a family together, brief as they were.

Where is all this talk of Harry and William "throwing their father under the bus" coming from? What am I missing? Who is saying or even implying that Harry's problems can be laid at the feet of Charles?

What am I missing?

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

From the Diana loving Richard Kay:
Prince Harry's 'total chaos' after Princess Diana's death | Daily Mail Online

Over the 20 years since her death, Diana’s reputation has suffered damage; revisionist writers have denigrated her memory while there have been few to champion her.

It was against this backdrop that Harry tried to ignore his grief. As he put it in the interview: ‘My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? It’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back.’

Give me a break!

 

[cepe]

FYI

William and Harry have given another interview, which is being discussed on the Heads Together link. It is part of the Heads Together campaign ( as was the Telegraph podcast)

I'm not putting the link on here because if I do, it will end up getting discussed in 2 places.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

Thanks for mentioning the other interview @cepe.

In light of Harry's moving interview, broadcast today, I do wonder why Charles didn't get both his boys counselling following Diana's death. If a child of twelve never speaks about their mother and believes that it's better to internalise everything, then surely an intuitive parent would come to the conclusion that something was up? ...

As many others here, including Osipi and HRHHermione have already eloquently expressed, there is no way to help a person (especially a child or a teenager) who is dealing with emotional pain, aside from making every attempt you can to do what you can. Obviously Prince Charles did do as much as he could, and he enlisted others to help as well. I think Prince Charles has a good relationship with his sons, much better than the relationship Charles had with either of his own parents!

No matter how much help was offered to William and to Harry, they still grieved for their mother. And recovering from grief is a very long process. Sometimes, people never recover, whether they are children or adults. And that doesn't mean that people close to them didn't try to help. In the interview, Harry was quite honest and open about his own experience of dealing with grief, but he also did not dwell on minute details. It is telling if you listen closely that Harry did say he closed himself down emotionally from the age of 12 until his late 20s. That was his own individual, self-survival way of coping. It's hard for anyone, even a loving relative to break through such a barrier. It takes time, and as Harry indicated, a person has to be ready to receive help.

I applaud Harry, Kate and William. I think it's significant that Harry pointed out they are not doing this to receive pats on the back. They are giving credit to the people who helped them put the charity together, and especially to the British public who have responded in such an overwhelmingly positive way. Everyone who missed these points should probably go back and listen more closely.

 

[Curryong]

My mother died, after a long battle with cancer, when I was almost twelve, so I do know something of what Harry was feeling. I received therapy at thirteen. That was absolutely decades ago and was a great help, though of course the sense of loss remains, especially when you graduate, marry, have your first child, see your children playing with their other grandparents present.

If Charles was a help and support to his sons in their grief and anguish I'm glad. However, it has been noted here and elsewhere that the only relative Harry mentioned as urging him to get help for his conflicted feelings was his brother.

 

[jacqui24]

I think people are overly sensitive about lack of mentioning of Prince Charles in Prince Harry's interview as preconditioned by the Wales' troubled marriage. No matter what Prince Charles did and didn't do, only William can understand Harry's pain here. I think people tend to put all responsibility on parents, but really a person is shaped and influenced by so much more than that. There might've been things in Harry's life that Charles understood more than William, but in this situation, only William truly understand. And I'm glad he was there for Harry.

By all the interactions we've seen between Charles, William, and Harry over the years, I think it's safe to say that Charles is supportive of his sons and vice versa. Charles did the best he could by his sons after their mother died. But he can't possibly do everything for them. Considering how Charles was raised, he's surprisingly emotionally close to his boys. Diana had an unrivaled way of connecting with people on an emotional level, and I do believe her sons get that from her more than Charles. It's not a dig at Charles. He has his strengths, but compared to his ex-wife, she was better at this than he. It's not to say he wasn't a good parent, or tried to do his best to comfort his sons, he just wasn't the right person to actively help Harry face his pains.

But back on the more important topic. Harry's struggles, and I believe that William has mentioned he was angry for a long time as well over Diana's death, will help millions of people to know that it's ok to feel pain and ask for help. That's the most important thing here. Especially considering Harry's connection to the military. There is a culture of considering certain things as weakness and not tough enough.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

I think people are overly sensitive about lack of mentioning of Prince Charles in Prince Harry's interview as preconditioned by the Wales' troubled marriage. No matter what Prince Charles did and didn't do, only William can understand Harry's pain here. I think people tend to put all responsibility on parents, but really a person is shaped and influenced by so much more than that. There might've been things in Harry's life that Charles understood more than William, but in this situation, only William truly understand. And I'm glad he was there for Harry.

By all the interactions we've seen between Charles, William, and Harry over the years, I think it's safe to say that Charles is supportive of his sons and vice versa. Charles did the best he could by his sons after their mother died. But he can't possibly do everything for them. Considering how Charles was raised, he's surprisingly emotionally close to his boys. Diana had an unrivaled way of connecting with people on an emotional level, and I do believe her sons get that from her more than Charles. It's not a dig at Charles. He has his strengths, but compared to his ex-wife, she was better at this than he. It's not to say he wasn't a good parent, or tried to do his best to comfort his sons, he just wasn't the right person to actively help Harry face his pains.

But back on the more important topic. Harry's struggles, and I believe that William has mentioned he was angry for a long time as well over Diana's death, will help millions of people to know that it's ok to feel pain and ask for help. That's the most important thing here. Especially considering Harry's connection to the military. There is a culture of considering certain things as weakness and not tough enough.

I don't agree! (but I don't think that is coming as a surprise) And I don't understand how people can say that Diana was a better parent or better at connecting with people on an emotional level than Charles, especially after everything we've heard from very reliable sources in the last 20 years.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The Diana fans will always continue to try to destroy Charles as most of them believe that in destroying Charles they are doing what Diana would have wanted.

Charles' supporters are often guilty of trashing Diana in support of Charles but also as a counter to the Diana fans way of blaming everything on Charles.

The press have their favourites as well - Richard Kay was always a Diana person and lost a lot when he lost access to the inner sanctum of royal gossip which he did when she died as he was her mouthpiece. He tried, initially, to be supportive of Charles but then found out that having so publicly called Charles out at times he didn't have the entre he had had previously to the boys and to the royal gossip. He know has to either make stuff or rehash the stories from when Diana had him on speed dial.

I do think it sad, for Charles' sake, that the boys don't realise that any time they do an interview about their mother (and they do them all the time) they also cut the ground from under their father. The only time they ever talk about their father is when they are asked to make a comment on a documentary about him - never off the cuff remarks about him but always about their mother. This can be so clearly seen with this recent interview - all about how he couldn't cope for years and years and then it was his brother who told him to get help (which raises some very serious questions about the screening process in the army for depression etc as that should have been picked up during his enrollment process). He thus implies that no one else in his family ever tried to help him, especially not his father and that is exactly the way that the Diana fans are seeing it. Charles failed as a parent because Harry had to get help so long afterwards thus Charles = bad guy again and they have the evidence from Harry's own mouth (or not from his mouth) to support them.