Prince Harry Has Something Very Important To Say About Your Mental Health

Prince William might be in line to rule Great Britain, but Prince Harry is first to rule the country's hearts. Unlike the composed, respectful William and his wife Kate, Harry's largely built his public reputation through a series of ever-more-notable bumbles: nude photos, a Nazi costume, you name it.

In recent years, though, the former wild child, now 31, has forsaken his party boy ways in the interest of promoting some of the causes his mother Diana famously held dear. Since completing two tours of military duty to Afghanistan, he's launched Sentebale, a charity that supports children orphaned by HIV/AIDs in Africa. Harry's even spent time on sports training programs and mentorship initiatives. Did Cinderella's Prince Charming do all that?

These days, Harry is speaking up about the importance of mental health and taking care of your brain, as well as your body. The only thing more attractive than a man who cares about the planet is one who wants to examine his emotions.

But, the process has also gotten the prince thinking about the sudden death of his mother all the way back in 1997, when he was just 12 years old. He recently hosted a dinner for Heads Together, a campaign started with his brother and sister-in-law to focus on athletes taking care of their brains, not just their bodies.

Harry told the BBC,

It is OK to suffer, but as long as you talk about it. It is not a weakness. Weakness is having a problem and not recognizing it and not solving that problem… You know, I really regret not ever talking about [my mother's death].

Harry's mother, the much-beloved Princess Diana, was killed in an often-remembered car crash in Paris. Her passing made global headlines and caused a media frenzy.

This isn't the first time Harry's spoken about depression. In May, he met with former president George W. Bush to publicize post-traumatic stress disorder among military veterans. His main takeaway? No one should be "hiding in shame" from his or her mental conditions.

Citations: Prince Harry 'regrets not speaking about Princess Diana's death' (BBC)