Prince Harry Launches Mental Health Initiative with the British Armed Forces

Lara Walsh
Updated

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Prince Harry is back at it again, making a stand for mental health awareness, but this time with an important partnership.

On Monday morning, the royal championed the issue that's near and dear to his heart, and officially launched an initiative alongside the British Armed Forces with an emotional speech.

After previously serving his country for a decade in Afghanistan, the 33-year-old spoke about the importance of equally cultivating both mental and physical fitness among servicemen. "Crucially, fighting fitness is not just about physical fitness. It is just as much about mental fitness too… We have all seen professional athletes lose races or matches due to unforced errors," the prince said about his decision to tackle mental health issues in the armed forces. "It is no different for anyone in high-pressure roles."

Kensington Palace's official Twitter account echoed Harry's sentiment, stating that his training hopes to "emphasize the idea that mental fitness is as important as physical fitness when working as part of the Defense community."

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Additionally, the red-haired royal stressed that soldiers are "prized assets" to be "invested in," before he concluded with a call to end the stigma surrounding mental health conversations.

"For too long, acknowledging emotion or challenging thoughts was seen as counterproductive to the fundamental characteristics of the Armed Forces," he said. "Today, we are saying that taking mental health seriously is what professional and dedicated service men and women must do to be above the rest and lead from the front."