The prince spoke at a Veterans’ Mental Health Conference on Thursday.
Prince Harry is opening up about one of the private visits he has made with his fiancée, Meghan Markle. The 33-year-old royal gave a speech at the Veterans’ Mental Health Conference in London on Thursday where he revealed some details about a trip he took with his future bride.
“I have seen those I have served with suffer, struggling to seek out the help they desperately need. And we know there are more just like them who continue to suffer in silence. And when the individual doesn't or can't reach out for help, it is also their families who suffer; especially their spouses and children, who are left feeling desperate and confused as they try to seek appropriate help for the ones they love,” Harry, a veteran himself explained. “Some of the stories Meghan and I heard when we visited Colchester Garrison a few weeks ago shocked us to our core.”
Harry also opened up about the problems facing servicemen and women today, with an emphasis on mental health.
“Anger, isolation, violence, substance misuse, all stem from the same place – and these are not unique to the military. To truly make a difference to veterans and their families, of course we must help those in need, but we must focus on solving the problem at source,” he said. “For me, this issue is personal. My time in the Army gave me the strongest respect for everyone who wears the uniform. It is a community I am proud to belong to, and I will always seek out anyway that I can to support it.”
Though Harry and Meghan have made many public appearances together since their engagement last fall, they did not publicly visit Colchester Garrison – a military base in Essex, England. This is the first confirmed report of one of Meghan’s private visits.
Last month the U.K.’s Telegraph reported that the former Suits star had visited victims of London’s Grenfell Tower fire.
"Meghan has been regularly making private visits to organizations as she gets to know the U.K. charity sector," a source told the newspaper at the time.
With the younger royals focusing on mental health, Meghan has been seamlessly joining in on the public outings. In addition to attending a Commonwealth Day service with Queen Elizabeth this week, Prince Harry’s fiancée has also visited Birmingham, Nottingham, Scotland, and Wales.
The packed schedule has not put a damper on Meghan’s wedding planning as her May 19 nuptials draw nearer. For more on Meghan’s journey to becoming a royal, watch the clip below!
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