Following his return to the U.K., Prince Harry, after reportedly settling down with his family near London, is taking on a new project: A MasterClass hosted alongside Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor discussing the topic of grief. Though a universal emotion, few have had theirs played out as publicly Prince Harry, who lost his mother, Princess Diana, at the age of 12. Millions watched him walk behind her coffin alongside his father, King Charles, uncle, Charles Spencer and older brother, Prince William. As he's gotten older, Prince Harry has been more candid about that experience, but this interview goes to new depths, with the Prince discussing everything from his childhood after her death, to his "adrenaline crash" in Canada and his thoughts on the role of psychedelics in therapy.
Prince Harry Gets Candid About Grief (and His Thoughts on Psychedelics)
Plus, how his relationship with his mom's memory has evolved
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After a life in the spotlight, during which he frequently experienced panic attacks before royal engagements, Prince Harry admitted to having an epic crash-out after stepping away from royal duties in 2019.
"Being in Canada, away from the stressful environment where presumably my body was just pumped full of adrenaline, within two or three days, I experienced this adrenaline crash—something that I’d never experienced before," he said in the MasterClass. “It was as if I needed stress in order to get the adrenaline to make my brain function because I became useless around the house. I actually slipped into depression for about two weeks and I felt like I couldn’t function without adrenaline.”
In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Prince Harry wasn't shy about his thoughts—and experiences with—psychedelics as a tool for therapy, and he doubled down on his position in the interview.
“Having witnessed how psychedelics are helping veterans and others who are suffering, it really excites me to see support for this research getting more traction across party lines here in the U.S.,” he said. “Psychedelic assisted therapy is no longer a fringe idea or thought. It’s really becoming, I think, mainstream.”
He also touched on how he's allowing himself more space in his adult life to think about his mom—something he previously shut down as an adolescent. Now, he even finds himself seeking Princess Diana's guidance.
“There is an element of me carrying my mother in me that ultimately energizes me for the work that I do. I felt for many years now, especially in the last six, so much of my mother within me," he said. “A lot has happened in my life in the last six years, and she has turned up at moments where it makes complete sense that she turned up in those moments. But I know that if I work harder, that I can be connected to her more often than these sort of fleeting moments.”
