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Prince Harry said that "there’s always a way back" from mental health hurdles while speaking to a group of young students in Canada Nov. 18.
By Gibson Johns Nov 20, 2024 1:30 PMTags
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Prince Harry is getting vulnerable.
The 40-year-old continued his commitment to encouraging open conversations about mental health during an emotional speech delivered to a group of young students in Canada.
"How many of you have felt struggles yourself and had to deal with it yourself without the help of family and friends?" he told the crowd at Seaforth Armoury in Vancouver while promoting the 2025 Invictus Games Nov. 18. "It’s important to know that when things get so hard, there’s always a way back."
The British royal—who shares Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, with wife Meghan Markle—went on to call out the adverse effects of being on social media.
"Who’s on social media?" he asked as nearly everyone in the crowd raised their hands. "Who feels social media is a double-edged sword? That’s how everybody feels. Everybody feels the same thing."
"We’ve come a long way to be able to talk about this," Harry continued. "Ten years ago, even five years ago, it was considered a weakness to talk about these things. When everyone starts sharing their story, you realize we’re not that different."
The Duke of Sussex added that interacting with the group of students and spreading the message of the Invictus Games—which he started in 2014 as a sporting event for injured servicepeople—meant a lot to him.
"Meeting the kids today, seeing them learn about the Invictus Games has had a profound impact on me," he shared, "because this is where Invictus starts to go even wider outside of the Invictus community into schools in Canada and hopefully around the world, as well."
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In addition to surprising the students with tickets to the 2025 Invictus Games set to take place in Whistler, Canada, in February, The Duke of Sussex also encouraged the young audience to empathize with the athletes as they compete.
"I want all of you, especially the kids here and young people, to imagine what it's like for these individuals," Harry said, "for the challenges that they have overcome to be amongst team members again, wearing their flag on their chest or on their arm, coming out into a stadium of tens of thousands of people cheering for them."
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He continued, "But, ultimately, it's the crowd. It's the audience. It's all of us that provide the atmosphere for them."
Harry reiterated that his "goal has been getting these competitors to share their experiences" and that "they are brave enough to have the permission to share their story, which is not a sad story; it’s a very inspiring story."
Keep reading for more on Harry and the Invictus Games.
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English (US)