Prince Harry says he was only able to cry over his mother's death after 16 years

Princess Diana's death in 1997 shocked the world after it was reported that she had been in a serious car accident. Diana left two sons, William, who was 15 years old at the time, and Harry, who was just 12. Grief and sadness were great feelings that they both carried and carry to this day, almost 30 years after their mother's death.

Understanding Grief

In the miniseries “Heart of Invictus”, released by Netflix, Prince Harry gave a detailed statement about how the loss of his mother impacted him. Harry says that when Diana died, he was too young to understand feelings and grief and that, as a result, he was unable to express his emotions due to the trauma he suffered with his mother's death.

_{Princess Diana and Prince Harry. (Photo: reproduction/ People Magazine)}

“The trauma of losing my mother at the age of 12 made me spend all these years without expressing emotions, unable to cry and feel.”says Harry. The prince reports that it was only at the age of 28 that he was able to express his emotions and finally cry and feel the pain of his mother's grief. Harry says that when he had this explosion of emotions, it felt like someone had shaken him and everything came to a head; this circumstance triggered her tears and her emotions were all over the place. “It was chaos and all I thought about was: how do I control this?” says Harry.

Harry points out that he went from an empty person to one with a whirlwind of emotions and that the therapy sessions helped him understand everything he felt and previously repressed.

Importance of a therapist

In the miniseries, producers seek to show the mental health challenges faced by military personnel with experience in war zones. Prince Harry gave his testimony, as he served in Afghanistan on two occasions and needed to find strength alone during the missions.

Harry says he didn't have support, structure or assistance from experts to understand what was happening to him. The traumas resulting from his experiences in the midst of the Afghan conflict left him grounded, not knowing what and how to feel. The prince talks about the importance of seeking professional help: “Unfortunately, as happens with many, the search for therapy only happens when we are already on the floor, in the fetal position, regretting not having faced these issues earlier.”concludes Harry.

Now, at 38 years old, married and father of a couple, Prince Harry still attends therapy sessions and also invests in EMDR therapy, to overcome the feeling of distress he always feels when flying to the United Kingdom. This technique, translated into Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a new psychotherapeutic approach that unlocks painful memories through bilateral brain stimulation.

Featured photo: Prince Harry and Princess Diana. Reproduction/People Magazine