LONDON // Britain’s Prince Harry said he suffered “total chaos” before eventually seeking help to deal with the death of his mother Princess Diana.
Speaking to The Telegraph newspaper, the prince, 32, said he had spent years trying to ignore his emotions following Diana's death in 1997 when he was just 12.
“My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? It’s only going to make you sad. It’s not going to bring her back,” he said.
It was not until the age of 28 that he sought help from mental health professionals after encouragement from others, including “huge support” from his older brother Prince William.
“It was 20 years of not thinking about it and then two years of total chaos ... I didn’t know what was wrong with me,” he said.
While Prince Harry has referred to grief in the past and supported mental health charities, he is acutely sensitive about media attention and it is rare for him to speak openly about his personal experience.
Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed were killed in a car crash in a Paris underpass on August 31, 1997, along with their French driver Henri Paul as they tried to outrun chasing photographers.
Her death triggered a mass outpouring of public grief and Prince Harry walked behind her coffin during a funeral which was broadcast around the world.
Prince Harry said he recently confronted the grief of losing his mother as well as tackling the pressures of a royal life including overcoming a feeling of “fight or flight” during engagements.
“I generally don’t know how we [royals] stay sane. I don’t have any secrets, I’ve probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions,” he said.
During a decade in the British army, Harry served twice in Afghanistan and went on to meet soldiers in a recovery unit, an experience he said had an effect on his health.
"You park your own issues, because of what you are confronted with," he told The Telegraph.
Describing himself as “a problem” through much of his twenties, Prince Harry said as well as seeking treatment he found taking up boxing helped.
“Everyone was saying boxing’s good for you and it’s really good for letting out aggression. That really saved me, because I was on the verge of punching someone. Being able to punch someone with pads was certainly easier,” he said.
Prince William and his wife Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, are campaigning along with Prince Harry to end stigma around mental health, supporting charities through their Heads Together initiative.
Prince Harry said once he started talking about how he felt he discovered he was “part of quite a big club” and encouraged others to open up.
“What we’re trying to do is normalise the conversation to the point of where anyone can sit down and have a coffee and say, ‘You know what, I’ve had a really shit day. Can I just tell you about it?’” he said.
* Agence France-Presse
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Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
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Creator: Lauren LeFranc
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
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Director: Hansal Mehta
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UAE team
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5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
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Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
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Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
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Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
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Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)