Prince Harry claimed he “didn’t have a support network,” After returning from Afghanistan which many interpreted as another swipe at the royal family.

As Meghan makes only brief cameos in the new Netflix documentary, Prince Harry appears to take another shot at the Royal family by saying he didn’t have a support network after his return from Afghanistan and he “curled up on the floor in foetal position.”Contributions from Mark Duell, Rory Tingle, Dan Sales, Danya Bazaraa, and Harry Howard 30 August 2023, 5:26 AM EDT

In another apparent jab at the Royal Family, Prince Harry used the release of his new Netflix series, Heart Of Invictus, to say that he did not have a support network after returning from duty in Afghanistan and that his trauma was “never discussed.”

The documentary focuses heavily on the Duke of Sussex, while his wife, Meghan Markle, makes only brief cameo appearances.Also, Harry admitted on the show that he had no idea he was still traumatized by his mother’s death in Paris in August 1997, when he was only 12 years old.Harry remarked, “When I got back from Iraq in 2008, the biggest struggle for me was no one around me really could help.” He continued, “I didn’t have that support structure, that network, or that expert advice to identify what was actually going on with me.”

“Unfortunately like most of us, the first time you consider therapy is when you are lying on the floor in the foetal position, probably wishing you had dealt with some of this stuff previously,” he added. And that’s what I’d like to alter the most.This morning, alongside the release of the latest project from the Sussexes’ £80 million contract with Netflix, Harry also detailed his roles as a father of two, a dog owner, and a spouse.At the outset, when asked “What’s your name?” the Duke of Sussex said, “My name’s Harry.” After a little pause, the interviewer said, “What do you do, Harry?”Harry questioned, “What do I do?” In a normal day? I’m a founding supporter of the Invictus Games Foundation, a spouse, and the father of two young children (both under the age of three).

There are many roles one can play, but for me, it is all about Invictus.The documentary also shows Harry and Meghan having a quiet moment together before Harry gives a speech to war veterans at New York’s Salute to Freedom Gala in November 2021. The Duke can be heard telling the Duchess that he is nervous.’We haven’t done this in a while,’ Harry was overheard adding. Then Meghan said, “I know.” Harry shuffled uncomfortably backstage, muttering, “My heart like digidigadigadiga.”Despite rumors to the contrary, Netflix made all five episodes of the docuseries available at 8am UK time (midnight California time).

The Invictus Games, which Harry and Meghan will attend, will take place in Dusseldorf, Germany, on September 9 and last for eight days. The show has been issued in anticipation of the event.

In addition to last year’s controversial Harry & Meghan documentary, which took several jabs at members of the Royal Family, Harry is the show’s executive producer, and it is part of the Sussexes’ partnership with Netflix.

In the six-part documentary that aired on Netflix in December, the pair claimed that Prince William and King Charles had lied during the infamous Megxit summit and that Kensington Palace had lied to cover it up. Since the couple’s other lucrative media partnership with Spotify expired in June after one season of Meghan’s podcast Archetypes, the success of the Invictus documentary is highly anticipated. On August 16, Netflix released the first official trailer for the upcoming season.For the Netflix film adaptation of Carley Fortune’s love story Meet Me at the Lake, Harry and Meghan have reportedly paid £3 million. In a new episode of the Invictus series, Harry discusses PTSD and trauma suffered by soldiers in combat zones, drawing on his own personal experiences.

He continues, “Look, I can only speak from me own experience, but from my tour in Afghanistan in 2012 flying Apaches, somewhere after that there was an unraveling.” Highlighted comments from Prince Harry’s ‘Heart of Invictus’ series on Netflix: “I didn’t realize the anguish I’d had from losing my mom when I was so young.

It was never brought up, and like most kids my age, I buried the topic deep inside and avoided talking about it. When it finally hit me, I was like a pinball flying through the air: ‘What the hell is going on here? I am now experiencing everything rather than simply being young.'”It wasn’t until later in my life, at the age of 28, that a circumstance occurred, and then suddenly it was like someone shook and it went ‘poof’ – and then it was chaos,” he says of his realization of the trauma.

Everywhere I went, my feelings were splashed all over the walls, and I remember thinking, “How the hell am I supposed to contain this?” I’ve gone from having nothing to having everything, and my therapist has told me to put myself in a glass jar, close the top, and leave it slightly ajar so that I can decide what goes in and what gets bounced out.”The biggest struggle for me was no one around me really could help,” the returning Afghanistan war vet said in 2008. I didn’t have someone to turn to for assistance or a network of people who might be able to help me figure out what was wrong with me.”Unfortunately like most of us, the first time you consider therapy is when you are lying on the floor in the foetal position, probably wishing you had dealt with some of this stuff previously,” he said of his mental health issues. And that’s what I’d like to alter the most.Asked about his personal history, he replied, “What do I do?” In a normal day? I’m a founding supporter of the Invictus Games Foundation, a spouse, and the father of two young children (both under the age of three).

There are many roles one can play, but for me, it is all about Invictus.I’ve always written myself off as the kind of father who would never enlist in the military after starting a family. It’s seldom just one person who signs up, but rather an entire household.Whenever he and I discuss his future career goals, his son Archie fluctuates between wanting to be an astronaut and wanting to be a pilot. But I tell him, “Remember, it’s your character that counts the most, not your aspirations for the future.””Let’s just put that to the side and talk about mental fitness,” the speaker said, referring to the topic of discussing mental health in the armed services.

If there is discrimination in the armed forces, then there will be discrimination in civilian life as well. We need to set an example if we are to succeed in eradicating the social stigma associated with mental illness.One stride forward, three steps back, but the longer that they persist, then a lot of these individuals go through and out of that trench that they have been caught in, he said of the Invictus contestants.”The whole reason I was allowed to go to Afghanistan in the first place was because it was kept a secret,” he said of his service there. For the entire ten weeks I was there, not even the British press reported my presence, saying instead, “we’ll keep quiet as long as we get access.””To suddenly be on the way home I was angry,” the soldier said of his withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, my removal was necessary to ensure the wellbeing of those around me.

That flight home had a profound effect on how I reflected on my time in Afghanistan. The curtain in front of me blew open as we stepped out. The only thing visible was the air medical facility. The bodies of three young British servicemen were found wrapped in plastic.Commercial MessageMy return from Afghanistan was the catalyst, but the memories that surfaced were from 1997, when I was 12 years old. I didn’t realize the anguish I’d had from losing my mother so early.Nothing was ever said about it, and like most kids my age, I tried to keep the subject to myself.

When it finally hit me, I was like a pinball flying through the air: ‘What the hell is going on here? I am now experiencing everything rather than simply being young.’The fact that I had no actual support system was the hardest thing.

I didn’t have someone to turn to for assistance or a network of people who might be able to help me figure out what was wrong with me.You, like the rest of us, probably wish you had dealt with some of these stuff before you were lying on the floor in the foetal position and contemplating treatment for the first time. And that’s what I’d like to alter the most.Canadian indoor rower Darrell Ling, with whom Harry discusses trauma, thanks him for his understanding: “I’m glad you’ve been through this stuff and know how we feel.”The Duke continues, “I can’t claim to know what you’ve been through, but I had that point in my life where I had no feeling, I was unable to cry, I was unable to feel, and it was due of the pain of losing my Mom when I was 12.

The truth was hidden from me at the time. And it wasn’t until a circumstance arose when I was 28 that the first few bubbles began to emerge, and then all of a sudden it was like someone shook it and it went ‘poof’ – and then it was anarchy.Everywhere I went, my feelings were splashed all over the walls, and I remember thinking, “How the hell am I supposed to contain this?” I’ve gone from having nothing to having everything, and my therapist has told me to put myself in a glass jar, close the top, and leave it slightly ajar so that I can decide what goes in and what gets bounced out.Harry, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan in 2007–2008 and again in 2012–2013, reveals that he never wanted his children to see him in uniform.

The Duke, father to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, says, “I’ve always had myself down as being the dad that I could never be serving while having kids.” He makes the remark while hiking with his buddies, former Invictus competitors JJ Chalmers and David Wiseman. You two did it, right? It’s seldom just one person who signs up, but rather an entire household.

“The wise guy claims that his pregnant wife Lucy was with him when he was shot and wounded in Afghanistan.The first scene of the show takes place in July of 2021, when Harry greets Chalmers and Wiseman with a hug and a “Morning lads” at his (presumably) Montecito, California, house.

To which Harry responds, “Shall we go for a hike?” as the three of them climb into the duke’s automobile.The documentary also features Harry’s speech to the athletes at the Invictus Games in The Hague last April, in which he tells them, “It is here at Invictus Games that you realise – whatever you carry was the springboard that propelled you to the next level.”Cheers to improving yourself till you’re the best you can be!

The you that you’ve been missing, the one your loved ones have been missing, the one your own children have been missing. My kid Archie alternates between wanting to be an astronaut and a pilot when I ask him what he wants to be when he grows up.But I tell him that the most important thing is the content of his character, not his career aspirations. Nothing would make his mother and I happier than if he developed the same moral fiber that we see in you today.

In the same interview, the Duke emphasizes the need for open dialogue on mental health in the military, adding, “When I joined the military mental health, mental illness was a dirty word.”My work with [Invictus Games co-founder] David Wiseman, giving talks to people within the military and encouraging them to accept the notion that “mental health” means “mental illness” — which it does not — but which it does in your mentality — is one of the things I am most proud of.If there is discrimination in the armed forces, then there will be discrimination in civilian life as well.

We need to set an example if we are to succeed in eradicating the social stigma associated with mental illness. Harry adds, “I feel it very personally because I have always felt that every life that is lost could have been a life saved.” And I believe that we, as a nation, can improve our treatment of veterans in particular.The Invictus Games, this community, and my personal life have all taught me that, “if you put your mind to something, there is almost always a positive out of it.”As archival footage of the 2014 Invictus Games highlights athletes’ victories and one athlete’s fall in the 200-meter dash, Harry also talks on the athletes’ ability to overcome adversity.

One stride forward, three steps back, but the longer that they persist, then a lot of these individuals go through and out of the trench that they have been caught in,” adds the Duke.They have finally put the past in the past. They have a more optimistic outlook on life, which has repercussions not only for themselves but also for their friends and neighbors.

And that is precisely what it is that we hope to do here.In another complaint, Harry says, “The whole reason I was allowed to go to Afghanistan in the first place was because it was kept a secret.”For the entire ten weeks I was there, not even the British press reported my presence, saying instead, “we’ll keep quiet as long as we get access.”In 2008, Harry’s secret was broken when the American website Drudge Report revealed the existence of a news blackout. They’re naming him ‘Harry the Hero!,’ the website exclaimed, announcing a ‘global exclusive.The Duke continues, “To suddenly be on the way home I was angry,” in the documentary. However, my removal was necessary to ensure the wellbeing of those around me.

“That flight home had a profound effect on how I reflected on my time in Afghanistan.”The curtain in front of me blew open as we stepped out. The only thing visible was the air medical facility. The bodies of three young British servicemen were found wrapped in plastic.People had talked about it, but I saw it for myself. That event served as the catalyst for understanding the true cost of war. The lives of not just those people, but also their loved ones, would be altered irrevocably.When I walked off the plane, I was furious, both at what had happened to these individuals and at the media for ignoring the story. But it wasn’t obvious to me at that time what had to be done.In another portion, recorded two days before the Invictus Games in April of last year, we hear from Harry.

‘After so many delays because of the global pandemic, with all the madness that’s occurring in the globe, what’s happening in Ukraine, to be here today in the games with all the people that have been patiently waiting till 2020 is a relief,’ the Duke says.We never thought it would happen, and the experience has been extremely up and down for everyone involved.While I can’t imagine how challenging training has been for everyone involved, I would say that these athletes have had more time to prepare for the games than anyone else.

“The vast majority of those who have made it to the Invictus Games and the vast majority of those who are alive today are because of their support network, is because of their family, is because of their friends.”This week at the games is like mandatory group therapy, and I can’t wait for it to begin.Meghan makes a few brief appearances in the film, including an introduction she gave to Harry during last year’s Olympic Games opening ceremony.

She expresses gratitude to the audience, including the veterans who have served and their loved ones who have shown their support throughout the years. This is the Invictus family; this is service; this is dedication.My wonderful spouse, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is here to meet you all.As she passes the mic to Harry, the two lock lips in front of the audience.”Thank you, my love,” Harry says. Our ability to overcome adversity and emerge stronger from adversity is a testament to the power of the human spirit, and the world would do well to be reminded of this. You as a group have triumphed over tremendous odds, and in doing so, you are helping to heal the globe and share your wisdom with others.You have substance as individuals; you’re strong, courageous, and kind.

You are truly an Invictus warrior at heart.Harry is also heard telling Team UK, “Thanks for putting so much into this,” before the games begin. You performed it on a daily basis while dressed in a uniform, and eventually, the outfit had to be hung up.But that duty is like blood; it flows through you and me and stays inside us. If you feel a lump in your throat and think you might want to cry when you’re out there beating the snot out of your opponents, competing for a medal, or simply having a great time and making your loved ones tremendously proud, go ahead and f***ing cry. I’m not joking.An additional segment of the documentary begins in March 2022, with Russia launching an invasion of Ukraine.

Manager of the Ukrainian Invictus squad Oksana Horbach speaks out about the team’s fallen soldiers.’It’s a significant security concern since we don’t want anyone to know the Ukrainian team is coming to the Hague, we might easily become a target of Russian military,’ she said.Since our country is now at war, the vast bulk of my team is currently serving in the military.Unfortunately, not everyone made it, including Yuliia Paievska, who was taken prisoner by Russian forces on March 16. They are missing her.Our archery coach Dmytro Sydoruk was killed in action on April 5th, therefore he is also not here.

He was killed instantaneously when he stepped on a landmine.A Ukrainian contender is shown handing Harry a photo album with the words “pictures showing what is going on in our land.”In addition, Harry comments, “On the Ukraine team, what has been weighing on me for the last 24 hours is the reality of their predicament. And it’s not simply that we can look into their eyes and see the horror of what they’ve been through since the invasion of their nation.Paul Jenkins, captain of the British wheelchair rugby squad at the Invictus Games, is another athlete featured in the video. He describes the time he ‘died for 27 minutes’ after suffering a heart attack and only surviving because his wife performed CPR.Jenkins is heard saying, “I’m not out there unfortunately due to the fact that I died,” a few weeks before the games begin.

That’s all there is to it. You can’t put it or gloss over it any other way.My wife is the only reason I’m still alive after being dead for 27 minutes. And who on earth believes that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, with all this nonsense surrounding it? I can say with certainty that it was filthy when I visited. Every step of the road was dark.The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also makes an appearance through video call.A salute to our military officers, veterans, and all those who have helped our incredible athletes.

I don’t think you’ve abandoned our country. I think it’s great that Ukraine has someone like you to represent it.’What about the trophies? The fact that you mustered up the courage to compete is the greatest accomplishment of all. But there’s a good reason why we need a single award. You can count on us to replicate it many times over. You guys are our gold, so you should all get medals.On Monday, Harry made an unexpected cameo at the premiere at a theater in Chula Vista, where veterans and their families watched two episodes. Harry, who was wearing a cream jacket and white shirt, welcomed the gathering with a joke, saying, “Nice to see you all.” It’s a great touch that you made an effort to get dressed up. What, [no] ties and suits?After the film, he spoke and took pictures with audience members, saying:

I appreciate your being here tonight so much. After two years of development, you guys will be the first to watch Heart of Invictus.The King’s youngest son, Harry, may be seen speaking directly to the camera in the Heart of Invictus trailer, saying, “The Games doesn’t focus on what causes the injury but really about the recovery and how to be part of a community again.”The Duke was also shown greeting rivals and declaring:

“We’re all going through tough times.”The documentary Heart of Invictus follows “a group of extraordinary competitors from around the globe: service members who have experienced life-changing injuries or illnesses on their road to the Invictus Games,” as Netflix put it at the time.One female competitor, speaking in Ukrainian, remarked that “to rehabilitate myself, I need Invictus” when discussing the difficulties they’ve faced. But conflict prevents us from taking it easy.Another woman was observed on a group video conversation, but she abruptly ended it as gunfire erupted in the area.The video showed Harry addressing the crowd at the Invictus Games, an event he created in 2014 in the spirit of the Paralympics to help wounded, ill, and disabled service members and veterans get back to competing in sports.”If you wanted to make your country proud, you’ve accomplished that,” he told them. Your mission, if it was to please your loved ones, has been accomplished. You’re a solid, resilient, powerful people. You embody the spirit of Invictus.Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions created the series, which had been in the works for over two years before its official debut.

Orlando von Einsiedel helms, and Joanna Natasegara produces; they previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning short The White Helmets.Anti-racism campaigner and social commentator Imarn Ayton said on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that seeing the documentary “does remind me of why I used to like him in the first place” in response to its publication today. I have to give it to him; it was motivational. However, I do not believe that the rebranding will be successful. The damage, if any, has already been done, in my opinion.I think it fits with their brand because it appears like it was made specifically for him. Why? Because it’s almost like two completely different worlds are colliding in this pair, who are 1) famous people and 2) royalty.

And with Harry, we get this sort of moment where we get to focus on the royalty, on who he is, and on him and his brand. And I believe that will serve them well in the future.TalkTV royal correspondent Rupert Bell also had some thoughts on the show, calling it “pretty good” after seeing the pilot episode: “I have to say I will give it out of seven out of ten watching the first episode.” It was entertaining to me.Harry is fundamental to the whole thing. Since it’s been his baby from the get-go, you get to hear the stories from his point of view, like the touching one about how he set up the initiative after being flown back from Afghanistan.

When they made an appearance in New York, Meghan wore a bold red dress, and Harry and Meghan were quoted as saying, “we haven’t done this much recently.”But Meghan is noticeably missing in action, this is clearly Harry’s doing, and the stories they’re following are undeniably inspiring and central to the series.And Laura Bundock, the royal journalist for Sky News, added:

When asked about the inspiration for the Invictus Games, Prince Harry said, “My own personal experience serving in the military and then of course my stint in Afghanistan which we have discovered did cause the pain of losing my mother at the age of 12.’A completely different series from what we’ve heard before, so don’t immediately assume “Harry on Netflix, here we go again.”‘There have been a lot of sides to Harry, we’ve heard a lot of Harry, he’s exposed a lot of himself,’ she went on to say. But now Harry is back on familiar ground. He has a deep connection to the Invictus Games.

It’s obvious that he is passionate about this issue and wants to spread the word about it.Also, I feel like this is a positive step forward after a year in which there has been a lot of hostility surrounding things Harry has done and said. The Invictus Games are a fantastic project from Harry that has achieved a great deal; even Harry’s detractors must admit that this is a narrative worth telling.’As for the Royal Family, who are on holiday in Balmoral, this will be one Harry show they probably won’t mind seeing,’ Ms. Bundock continued.In April of last year, Harry and Meghan attended the Games in The Hague, the Netherlands, and were accompanied by a film team for the project.

To ensure his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was ‘protected’ and had ‘the appropriate people around her,’ Harry gave an interview to NBC’s Today show from The Hague in which he appeared to send a veiled warning to those closest to the monarch.

He did not specify whether he was speaking of royal advisors or immediate family members. After hearing that the Sussexes’ Spotify contract had been terminated in June, speculation began that the couple’s Netflix contract would also be in jeopardy. On June 27, however, a spokesperson for Netflix issued a statement in support of the pair, saying, “The bond with Archewell Productions is one we deeply value.” Our thrilling adventure with them is far from over.On August 24, a representative for Harry and Meghan announced the Duchess’s plans to attend the Invictus Games with the Duke the following month. Participants from 21 countries, including newcomers Colombia, Israel, and Nigeria, will take part in the tournament, but Meghan will miss the opening ceremony since she is flying to Europe to join Harry shortly after the competition begins.On the eve of the first anniversary of the late Queen’s death, Harry will fly to the UK to attend a charity’s awards ceremony before the start of the Invictus Games.

On September 7th, Harry will host an event in London honoring the achievements and resiliency of children and families who have benefited from the services of the charity WellChild.On September 8 of last year, at the age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, passed away quietly in Balmoral in Scotland.It is thought that Charles III and Camilla would spend the first anniversary of her death in quiet reflection at their Balmoral residence.

While Harry has been WellChild’s patron for 15 years and has attended the organization’s annual awards ceremony, Meghan has not.Harry and Meghan Sussex skipped the 2022 WellChild Awards so he could be with other members of the royal family in Scotland on the day the Queen died.

On August 10, one month before the Invictus Games, Harry released a video message in which he expressed his excitement for the event and talked about the ‘healing path’ that everyone is on.The closing ceremony for Invictus will take place on September 16, and singer Rita Ora has been announced as the main performance.

“I can’t wait to see all of you and have the whole community together once again,” Harry added in his video greeting. Time has passed too slowly.’You’re all at different points in your healing path,’ he continued. All of us are, and always have been. But I can guarantee that you will emerge from this experience changed for the better than you were before it.”Thank you for your service,” Harry said. I appreciate your dedication and perseverance in getting us here. We’re going to have a blast. In other words, these games will be the best of all time.Streaming of Heart of Invictus has begun on Netflix.

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