'Today Is a Bad Day': Prince Harry Talks About 'Grief and Sadness' Next to Expressionless Meghan Markle in Nigeria
Prince Harry spoke candidly about "grief and sadness" next to a silent Meghan Markle during a discussion about mental health at a school in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday, May 10. This follows the fifth in line to the throne's "snub" from his father, King Charles III, who couldn't meet with his youngest son in London on Wednesday, May 8, due to commitments.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are both in the African nation at the invite of the government. The Montecito prince spoke with gathered students by highlighting how mental health is still "something we are relatively unsure of" scientifically, but is universal.
"In some places around the world, more than you would believe, there is a stigma against mental health," he said. "Too many people don't want to talk about it because it's invisible, it's in your mind and we can't see it. But guess what, every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health. So therefore, you have to look after yourself in order to be able to help other people, other people have to look after themselves in order to be able to look after you. That's the way it works."
The Duke, who admitted to having "no emotion" in the years following Diana, Princess of Wales' sudden 1997 death, further shared with students: "There is no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day. OK? If you woke up this morning feeling sad, if you left school feeling stressed, if you've lost a loved one in your family who you usually turn to or speak to, all of these things you may be led to believe are not for conversation. We are here today to tell you that that is not the case."
Harry concluded his speech by stating: "Every single one of those things is completely normal. It is a human reaction, whether it's grief, stress, whatever the feeling is, it comes from experiences you have had" and can affect you "on any given day."
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The royal rebel was in London to serve as the official guest of honor for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at St Paul's Cathedral. In what one royal analyst calls a "sad but honest" outcome, Harry reportedly sent invitations to multiple senior royals to attend the service — but not a single one answered.
The fiery-haired prince had previously met with his father in London on February 6, which was less than 24 hours after the monarch shared the news of his cancer diagnosis to the world. This led to wide-scale speculation that dad and son would meet again this past Wednesday, May 8.
Daily Mirror reported on Harry's speech.