Prince Harry opened up about his feelings after leaving the royal family and relocating to Canada and the United States, also speaking about the grief from the loss of Princess Diana, his mother.
BBC News reported on 8 Oct 2026 that Prince Harry shared via video his feelings after stepping down from his role as a senior royal and moving first to Canada, then the United States. He also discussed the emotional numbness he experienced for a long time following the death of Princess Diana, his mother.
The Duke of Sussex revealed that he experienced depression for about two weeks after moving to Canada in 2019. He explained that after leaving the stressful environment, his body suffered a "severe adrenaline crash" within two to three days, leaving him feeling drained and as though his brain needed stress to stimulate its functions.
"Living in Canada, away from the high-pressure environment that constantly pumped adrenaline through my body, just two or three days later I faced an adrenaline crash unlike anything I'd ever experienced. It was as if I needed stress to produce adrenaline to keep my brain working, because I became completely useless at home. I was depressed for about two weeks and felt I couldn't do anything without adrenaline," he said.
Prince Harry also shared that he endured emotional numbness for a long time after Princess Diana died when he was only 12 years old, saying he "felt guilty and betrayed" if he was happy or smiled without his mother.
"In my twenties, I went to fight in two wars because I thought I could run away from my feelings, but it didn’t work that way," Prince Harry said in the video.
"I was emotionally numb for a long time, mostly because I felt guilty and like a traitor if there was any chance I could be happy or joyful without my mother. I felt I had to be sad and numb to prove to her that I missed her."
He revealed that after crying at his mother's funeral, he did not cry again for nearly 20 years.
A therapist suggested he try using Princess Diana's perfume to unlock his feelings, which helped him realize that his mother only wanted him to be happy.
Prince Harry and Meghan, along with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet, have since moved back to the United Kingdom after living in the United States for six years. In the video, he also disclosed a personal rule of not traveling more than 10 days away from his family.
This mental health revelation is part of a MasterClass online paid lesson on coping with loss. Prince Harry was invited to participate last year, and the filming took place in California during last summer.
/bbc