'It Was Only Right to Share': Prince Harry Insists He Was Just 'Doing His Bit' by Revealing His Mental Health Battles After His Mother’s Death - and Says Diana Would be 'Hugely Encouraged' to See People Talking Openly About Their Issues.
Prince Harry: I sought counselling after the death of my mother led to two years of 'total chaos' in my twenties
- Prince officially opened London Marathon Expo at ExCeL centre in London
- Five-year-old Melissa Howse helped royal to cut the ribbon
- Handed out race numbers to this year's participants in 26-mile challenge
- Royal left a message for runners, saying: 'Good luck guys. Smash it.'
Daily Mail UK, 19 April 2017
It was his first public engagement since Monday's deeply emotional interview in which he revealed the depth of his 20-year battle with the grief of losing his mother, Princess Diana.
But today Prince Harry played down the importance of what he had done this week, saying it was 'only right' that he'd been open about his struggles, adding that Princess Diana would be 'hugely encouraged' to see the progress the UK has made in talking about mental health issues.
The royal was at the Virgin Money London Marathon Expo today at the ExCeL Centre in East London to officially open the event.
'I've shared, just as much as everybody else has during this campaign.' he said.
'After how many years of listening to stories from veterans and their families and then specifically in this campaign William, Catherine and I hearing some of the most heart wrenching stories based around what people have experienced and then the mental anguish that's happened from then - it was only right to share my experiences to hope to encourage others to come forward and smash that stigma to make it easier for them to talk about their own experiences. So I was just doing my bit.
Prince Harry, Heads Together patron officially opens the Expo accompanying this year's marathon with the help of five-year-old Melissa Howse
'When you've heard so many stories from so many other people and if you can relate to that then it's only right that you talk about your own experiences.
'As I said this campaign has been going on for a year now and we've met so many incredible people and now we're at a tipping point where the London Marathon is coming up this Sunday, the whole of the UK has shown the appetite for a conversation about mental health and that is absolutely fantastic and we've all been blown away by how many people want to talk about this.
'I think there's going to be momentum after it no matter what. What this campaign has achieved and what this country has achieved just in a short space of time in the last year, especially this last week, has been quite remarkable.
'This is not the news or us trying to force something down people's throats - the appetite is there. It's like you've removed a lid and the pressure has just been released.
A cheerful Prince Harry posed with a mother and her young child, both wearing Heads Together headbands, which all participants in this Sunday's race will receive
'Everybody wants to discuss it, everybody wants to talk about it. It is all of our responsibilities, us, the runners, yourselves, everybody up and down the UK, it's our responsibility to ensure that this wave, that we ride it all the way to shore and we don't jump off.'
The prince, who was aged just 12 when his mother was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31 1997, said about Diana: 'I think from her perspective she would be overwhelmed and hugely encouraged by the fact that the UK - not known for wanting to talk about mental health issues - has suddenly got to this point.'
Earlier today the royal made a giggling little girl feel like a princess when he unexpectedly invited her to cut a ribbon with him.
The Virgin Money London Marathon Expo is expected to welcome more than 80,000 visitors through its doors this weekend.
All runners must go there to collect their race numbers, but there are also stalls, clinics and even free massages available as part of the exhibition show.
Earlier this week, the Prince received widespread praise for admitting, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he spent nearly 20 years 'not thinking' about his mother's death and eventually got help after two years of 'total chaos'.
Prime Minister Theresa May said his decision to open up would help 'smash the stigma around mental health,' Mind, the mental health charity, described it as a 'true turning point,' while Sir Elton John tweeted it was a 'sign of strength to ask for help'.
Harry, who is Patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust, handed out race numbers to visitors
The prince was on hand this morning to offer words of encouragement to people taking on the epic 26-mile challenge
Heads Together is the mental health campaign spearheaded by Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the aim of encouraging the nation to talk about their psychological problems or be a sympathetic ear for those in need.
This week, William also gave a rare interview encouraging people to ditch the 'stiff upper lip' and be more open about their mental struggles.
The royal trio are campaigning hard on the issue this week in the run up to the London Marathon which has made their campaign it's official charity.
It's been an emotional week for Harry, but the royal was in great spirits this morning a he joined participants in this Sunday's London marathon
Prince Harry opens this year's Virgin Money London Marathon Expo at the ExCel Centre, London, with the help of five-year-old Melissa Howse
Every runner will receive a blue Heads Together headband, along with a note from William, Kate and Harry wishing them luck and encouraging them, no matter which important cause they are running for, to help Heads Together make the event the mental health marathon.
Later Kate will host marathon runners from team Heads Together at Kensington Palace, where she will chat to the group and discuss their reasons for taking part and wish them luck.
The runners will then take part in a training session with coach Nick Anderson.
Prince Harry Had Counselling after Death of Princess Diana
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'Harry is a Real Hero': Duchess of Cambridge Praises Her 'Brilliant' Brother-in-Law for Speaking out About His Mental Health Struggles - as She Admits to Battling 'Mixed Emotions' After the Birth of Prince George
- Kate, 35, hosted a group of Team Heads Together runners at Kensington Palace on Wednesday afternoon
- The athletes are taking part in the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon on behalf of the charity
- Duchess of Cambridge dressed down in a striped tee from Italian label Luisa Spagnoli and skinny jeans
The Duchess of Cambridge has praised her 'brilliant' brother-in-law Prince Harry for speaking out about his mental health struggles - as she hinted at battling with 'mixed emotions' after becoming a mother for the first time. Kate, 35, was speaking to Jamie Maloy, headteacher of Viking Primary School in west London, during a reception for London Marathon runners at Kensington Palace on Wednesday.
Mr Maloy lavished praise on the prince, saying: 'What I love is your brother-in-law talking the other day, because that's just ignited it.
'Everyone's talking about mental health now because someone who is so famous and so much in the public eye has actually turned around and said something hit me hard – the death of a close loved one. And I think people have gone "good on you, because you could have never mentioned that."'
When he told Kate how Harry was 'a real hero to a lot of people', she replied: 'Absolutely. He's been brilliant.'
The Duchess of Cambridge hosted the athletes running for Heads Together, the mental health campaign she launched last year alongside the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, at her Kensington Palace home on Wednesday afternoon
The Duchess was hosting a group of athletes running for Heads Together on Wednesday, the mental health campaign she launched last year alongside the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry which has been chosen as the official charity for this year's race.
The princess also met DJ Neev Spencer who suffered post natal depression after the birth of her daughter, Genevieve, now nine months.
Kate told her: 'Nothing can prepare you for motherhood - especially the first time round, the mixed emotions.'
The Duchess has spoken candidly in the past about suffering from a 'lack of confidence' as a first-time parent, calling motherhood a 'huge challenge'.
Today, the mother-of-two opted for an uncharacteristically dressed-down look with a £220 striped top from Italian label Luisa Spagnoli, skinny jeans and her trusty Superga trainers as she welcomed the runners to her London residence - a far cry from her ultra-polished look during her last public appearance on Easter Sunday.
Kate, who is currently counting down the days until her sister Pippa's wedding on May 20, also unveiled one of 70 Royal Mail postboxes which will be wrapped with Heads Together headbands along the 26.2-mile route.
She also met Royal Mail CEO Moya Greene, who spoke of her company's support of the campaign, saying: 'As a large employer, we recognise that we have a big role to play in tackling the stigma surrounding mental health.
Kate (pictured with Prince George at his christening in October 2013) said today: 'Nothing can prepare you for motherhood'. She has previously spoken about suffering from a 'lack of confidence' and says having a baby can be a 'huge challenge'
All smiles: But Kate (pictured with William, George and Charlotte in Canada, September 2016) has admitted to battling with 'mixed emotions' after the birth of her son, telling a guest today: 'Nothing can prepare you for motherhood'
Despite her dressed-down look, the Duchess' hair was coiffed to perfection while she added a pair of simple drop earrings and just a hint of smokey eyeshadow
'Although we have made some positive steps, there is still a long way to go. Like Sunday's race, this is a marathon. We need to build on the good work we have done so far, and that means helping to address this issue within the local communities that we serve every single day.
'I'm proud that we are using our iconic postboxes to support Heads Together and this important campaign.'
Meanwhile, Kate chatted to her guests about their reasons for taking part in the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon and wished them luck with their final preparations. The runners then took part in a training session with endurance coach Nick Anderson.