He reflected on his 10 years in the Armed Forces.
Prince Harry is once again putting a famous face to the important subject of mental health awareness.
The 33-year-old royal, who previously served in the British Armed Forces, gave a rousing speech on Monday morning at the Ministry of Defence in London, England. Harry’s remarks kicked off a partnership with the MOD to help improve the mental health of those in the Armed Forces.
“My 10 years in the army taught me a great deal. I learned about the true meaning of service, duty, resilience and dedication,” Harry began. “But in many ways I have learned more about the sacrifices our servicemen and women make for us all since I left the army and continued my work with the Invictus Games. Having a step back from day-to-day army life has allowed me to think carefully about how we prepare, support, and care for those who wear the uniform.”
Harry recently traveled to Toronto, Canada, to kick off the annual Invictus Games, an athletic competition for wounded veterans.
Calling service men and women “prized assets” who need to be “invested in,” Harry went on to note, “Crucially, fighting fitness is not just about physical fitness. It is just as much about mental fitness too… We have all seen professional athletes lose races or matches due to unforced errors. It is no different for anyone in high pressure roles.”
Harry closed his speech with a call for progress, saying, “For too long, acknowledging emotion or challenging thoughts was seen as counterproductive to the fundamental characteristics of the Armed Forces. Today, we are saying that taking mental health seriously is what professional and dedicated service men and women must do to be above the rest and leading from the front.”
The partnership is being made in an effort to “improve training and education around mental health,” Kensington Palace’s official Twitter account announced, adding, “The training will emphasize the idea that mental fitness is as important as physical fitness when working as part of the Defence community.”
As for Harry’s personal life, during his recent trip to Toronto, he made several rare public appearances with his girlfriend, Meghan Markle. Check out the pair’s romance!
