Prince Harry has revealed that he gets "incredibly nervous" before delivering a speech and has a fear of public speaking. The royal was sharing his secret in support of the #FeelNoShame campaign, run by his charity Sentebale.
Making the confession on Monday to coincide with World AIDS day, Harry posted a homemade video online. The campaign aims to encourage HIV victims to speak out and seek medical support and education to prevent the virus from spreading further. The Prince was joined by a host of celebrities including Nicole Scherzinger, Gemma Arterton and Paloma Faith in laying their secrets bare to the world.
© Photo: Getty Images"Hi, I'm Prince Harry, patron of Sentebale," said the fourth-in-line to the throne. "First of all I'd like to thank everybody for getting involved in the #FeelNoShame campaign, part of Sentebale. "On today, World Aids Day, my secret is, believe it or not, I get incredibly nervous before public speaking no matter how big the crowd or the audience. And despite the fact that I laugh and joke all the team, I get incredibly nervous if not anxious, actually, before going into rooms full of people when I'm wearing a suit. "And now that I've confessed that, I'll probably be even more worried that people are looking at me. But thank you very much for everyone who's taken part and I must encourage as many people to get involved as possible. Thank you."
© Photo: Getty ImagesIn his launch video, Harry, who shared his secret on micro-site FeelNoShame.Today, asked people to get involved and dish their own secrets, from worst fears to guilty pleasures, on social media by using the hashtag #FeelNoShame.
Former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole made her confession in a homemade clip, saying: "My secret is sometimes I don't feel like I'm enough, worth it and that I don't fit in. But #FeelNoShame." "My secret is that I have never watched Star Wars or Back To The Future. I'm pretty ashamed about that actually. So please #FeelNoShame," said actress Gemma in her video.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHarry also spoke of the fatal virus and his charity Sentebale, which he co-founded in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho after visiting the African country. "Globally, HIV is the second highest cause of death amongst those aged between ten and 19 years old, and it is the number one cause of death across Africa," said Harry.
"One tragic issue in particular is the shame and stigma linked to HIV. This causes thousands of children to needlessly die each year because they're keeping their illness a secret and not getting the medical attention they need."
© Photo: Getty Images"To show our support for the children of Lesotho [where Sentebale works], and help reduce the stigma for all those affected by HIV, we are turning this World AIDS Day into a day in which no one should feel any shame about their secrets," added Harry. "Together, we can tackle the stigma surrounding HIV and give the young people carrying it the childhood they deserve. The childhood so many of us take for granted."
