WHAT'S HEIR THINKING?
Royal Family ‘struggling to understand’ what Prince Harry hopes to achieve with tell-all interviews, insider reveals
THE Royal Family is "struggling to understand" what Prince Harry hopes to achieve with his tell-all interviews, an insider has revealed.
The Duke of Sussex, 36, released a string of revelations about Royal life in his latest mental health project with Oprah Winfrey- which have left his family "dismayed" and "tearing out their hair".
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Prince Harry spoke out in The Me You Can't See episode with Oprah - with the episode seeing the royal claim he felt compelled to step away from the Firm as he was "controlled through fear" and told not to talk about his "trauma".
The Duke claimed Charles left him to "suffer" amid "total neglect" for his mental health - while Meghan wept into her pillow after she was "smeared" by The Firm.
But a royal aide said Harry's family is "struggling to understand" what he hopes to achieve from sharing such "intimate details" about their lives.
It comes as:
- Harry insisted the Oprah interview was done "compassionately" to leave room for reconciliation with his family
- William "personally penned" his criticism of the BBC over Princess Diana's Panorama interview
- William confessed "lockdown has tested everyone" as he spoke about the impact of the pandemic on mental health
- The BBC licence fee could be cut for five years after Martin Bashir's Princess Diana Panorama probe "tarnished" its reputation
- Princess Diana's brother called on Scotland Yard to investigate the BBC over the Panorama interview
"Everyone is struggling to understand what he gets from, or hopes to achieve, by interventions like this," the insider told the .
"It is perfectly possible to campaign effectively on the issue of mental health without talking in such intimate detail about his own experiences."
In stunningly candid moments during the episode, Harry launches blistering attacks on his close relatives - and even admits to past drug use and booze binges to escape from his anguish.
He revealed he's been in therapy for "four or five years" - while also opening up about turning his back on Britain and his family to "break the cycle" of grief being passed down the generations.
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Harry also spoke out about his wife Meghan's mental health struggles, saying: "Meghan decided to share with me the suicidal thoughts and the practicalities of how she was going to end her life.
"The scariest thing for her was her clarity of thought."
He also blasted his own dad Charles - .
He said: "My father used to say to me when I was younger, he used to say to both and I, 'Well, it was like that for me so it’s going to be like that for you.'
"That doesn’t make sense. Just because you suffered, that doesn’t mean your kids have to suffer. Actually quite the opposite.
"If you suffered, do everything you can to make sure that whatever negative experiences you had, you can make it right for your kids."
Harry spoke in the documentary about suffering through a "nightmare time" in his life from when he was 28 until 32.
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"I'm freaking out every single time I jump in the car, or see a camera. I would just start sweating," he said.
The was released on Apple TV in the US on Thursday night and the UK on Friday morning.
Harry said he was never given the space or the time to really mourn his mother's death, and that led him to eventually try drinking and drugs to numb his lingering pain.
He said he would try to "feel less" of what he was feeling and would abstain from drinking all week and then drink "a week's worth" in one sitting as a coping mechanism.
"I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling", Harry admitted.
"But I slowly became aware that, okay, I wasn't drinking Monday to Friday, but I would probably drink a week's worth in one day on a Friday or a Saturday night.
"And I would find myself drinking, not because I was enjoying it but because I was trying to mask something."
In the final episode of the series, Harry spoke about how his mother continues to have a major impact on his family life.
"I wish she could have met Meghan. I wish she was around for Archie," Harry said of his mom.
"I got a photo up in his nursery ... and it was one of the first words that he said. Apart from mama, papa, it was then grandma, grandma Diana.
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"It's the sweetest thing but at the same time makes me really sad," he said.
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The series also features special guests talking about their own mental health experiences, including Lady Gaga and Glenn Close.
The episodes tackle different topics related to mental health, such as not being afraid to ask for help, finding what works for you, and finding the right community to heal.
Oprah defends Prince Harry and Meghan against critics
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