Prince Harry has appeared to take a fresh swipe at the royal family in his new Netflix show, claiming he didn’t have a support network following the death of his mother Princess Diana.
The documentary, Heart of Invictus, shines a light on the injured military personnel and veterans who take part in the Invictus Games, which Harry founded in 2014.
During the five-part series, which launched today (August 30), the Duke of Sussex opened up about his own mental health. He said that after leaving Afghanistan he was left “lying in the foetal position” and “bouncing off walls”.
Prince Harry claims he didn’t have a support network
Harry revealed: “I can only speak from my personal experience – my tour of Afghanistan in 2011 flying Apaches. Somewhere after that there was an unraveling and the trigger to me was returning from Afghanistan.
“But the stuff that was coming up was from 1997 – from the age of 12. Losing my mum at such a young age, the trauma that I had, I was never really aware of. It was never discussed and I didn’t really talk about it.”
He continued: “But then when it all came fizzing out I was bouncing off the walls.
“I was thinking what is going on here – now I’m feeling everything as opposed to being numb. The biggest struggle for me was that no one around me could really help. I didn’t have that support structure that network or that expert advice to identify what was actually going on with me.”
He added: “Unfortunately like most of us, the first time you really consider therapy is when you’re lying on the floor in the fetal position probably wishing that you dealt with some of this stuff previously.”
What does King Charles think?
Despite his apparent dig at the royal family, an friend of the royals has claimed they will still be “proud” of him.
Appearing on This Morning on Wednesday, Gyles Brandreth said he believes that King Charles still cares for Harry deeply.
“It’s the King’s son, he loves his son, and I think they totally accept they [Harry and Meghan] wanted to start a new life in California. That’s fine,” Gyles said. “They’re thrilled by this, this is the real achievement.”
He added: “The King is so proud of this. I know personally that the late Duke of Edinburgh, his grandfather, thought ‘Yes, this is what it’s all about.’ This will go on forever.”
The show has been released ahead of the Invictus Games next month.
The games are taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from September 9 for eight days. Harry is set to attend with wife Meghan Markle.
It’s not the first time Harry has candidly shared his feelings on screen. He previously opened up about stepping away from royal life in his first Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, last year.
Read more: Reason Meghan Markle will always have a royal title – even if Charles strips them of Sussex name
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