Prince Harry Delivers Heartfelt Speech About Mental Health And 'Struggles' For Students In Vancouver
Harry continued, telling the audience: "It's important to know that when things get so hard, there's always a way back." The Spare author also discussed how social media can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, reminding the students that they are not alone in facing these challenges.
The Duke called social media a "double-edged sword" and also said that "everybody feels the same thing." Harry's wife Markle, 43, previously shared similar thoughts about social media, saying she needed time away from it for her own "self-preservation."
Harry stressed the vital importance of having these conversations now, especially given that, until recently, many people had to confront mental health issues without widespread assistance. "We've come a long way to be able to talk about this," he shared. He 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 prince mentioned that engaging with the students and sharing the purpose of the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 as an athletic event for wounded military personnel, was very meaningful to him. "Meeting the kids today, seeing them learn about the Invictus Games has had a profound impact on me," he said, "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."
Alongside the unexpected gift of tickets to the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler, Canada, scheduled for February, Harry also urged the young audience to connect emotionally with the athletes during their competitions.
"I want all of you, especially the kids here and young people, to imagine what it's like for these individuals," Harry noted, "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."