Britain’s Prince Harry has revealed that he experienced depression during a break from royal duties in 2019, as tensions with the royal family increased before he and his wife, Meghan, stepped away from official roles.
Speaking on a videocast titled Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss, Harry said he struggled with emotional numbness following the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash when he was 12.
Harry recalled that he and Meghan spent six weeks in Canada in 2019 to consider their future away from the pressures surrounding the royal family. He said the sudden drop in stress left him feeling exhausted and unable to function normally.
He described experiencing an adrenaline crash within days of arriving in Canada, followed by about two weeks of depression. He said he had become so accustomed to stress that he struggled to function without it.
The couple returned to Britain weeks later, when they announced plans to stop working as members of the royal family. They subsequently moved to California, where they lived for six years before returning to Britain in August 2026 with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Harry has frequently spoken about mental health and the lasting impact of losing his mother. Raising awareness of mental health issues remains a shared interest with his older brother, Prince William, although the brothers have reportedly remained estranged following Harry’s public criticism of the royal family.
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