A tell-all book, documentaries, several interviews: For Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the departure from the British royal family is turbulent. He now speaks publicly with a trauma expert about the past few months and takes stock.
Prince Harry has had mixed feelings about his departure from the British royal family. “I’ve lost a lot,” said the 38-year-old on Saturday in an online conversation with author and trauma expert Gabor Maté. “But I also gained a lot at the same time. Watching my children grow up the way they are growing up now would not have been possible in the environment there,” said Harry, referring to his old home in the United Kingdom.
Harry and his wife Meghan retired from official royal duties in 2020 and built a new life in California. The couple now have two children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one. Several interviews and Harry’s memoirs, in which he makes serious allegations against the royal family, have strained the relationship with the royal family.
The rift with his family was also discussed directly in Harry’s conversation with Maté: Working through his own history in therapy felt like learning a new language. However, this also makes him feel further and further away from his family, who do not speak this language, according to Harry.
In addition to his lessons from therapy, the royal told – as in his memoirs – about his experiences with various drugs, especially experiments with psychoactive substances. Although he himself described these as helpful for himself, Harry also cautioned against trying similar things without professional guidance. “You never know what’s coming,” he said, referring to the emotions and trauma that could potentially be triggered.
(This article was first published on Sunday, March 05, 2023.)
