Prince is left ‘shocked’ by the struggles of veterans
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle were “shocked” to the core by the stories they heard from military veterans on a private fact-finding visit to Colchester Garrison, the royal has revealed.
In a keynote speech to a conference about veterans’ mental health, Harry, who was an army officer for 10 years, also said he witnessed those around him “struggling to seek out the help they desperately need”.
Harry and fiancee Meghan recently visited the garrison to learn more about the North Essex Veterans Mental Health Network, a collaboration between the NHS, Ministry of Defence and Third Sector.
The prince, who arrived an hour before he was due to speak to hear experts address delegates at King’s College London’s Strand Campus, said: “I have seen those I have served with suffer, struggling to seek out the help they desperately need. And we know there are more just like them who continue to suffer in silence.
“And when the individual doesn’t or can’t reach out for help, it is also their families who suffer; especially their spouses and children, who are left feeling desperate and confused as they try to seek appropriate help for the ones they love.”
He added: “Some of the stories Meghan and I heard at Colchester Garrison shocked us to our core. But despite meeting these people and others who are in the darkest of places, I am continually surrounded and inspired by amazingly positive outcomes.”