Prince Harry has his insecurities and he's not ashamed to admit them. The young royal shared a secret — that he gets "incredibly nervous" before delivering a speech. Harry, 30, revealed his fear of public speaking to support the #FeelNoShame campaign run by his charity Sentebale, which helps vulnerable children in Lesotho.
The fourth-in-line to the British throne posted his confession in an online video on Monday to coincide with World AIDS Day. In addition to the young royal's admission, other celebrities like Nicole Scherzinger followed suit.
The #FeelNoShame campaign works to encourage HIV sufferers to speak out and seek medical support and information about the virus.
Prince Harry said that despite joking and laughing, he has a fear of public speaking
"Hi, I'm Prince Harry, patron of Sentebale," the young royal said. "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 time, I get incredibly nervous if not anxious, actually, before going into rooms full of people when I'm wearing a suit."
The royal went on to thank his supporters and those who have encouraged his charity's work.
"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."
Prince Harry encouraged people to get involved by using #FeelNoShame online
In his video, Harry urged viewers to get involved and share their own secrets on social media with the hashtag #FeelNoShame. Former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger 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."
Prince Harry co-founded Sentebale after visiting Lesotho in 2006
After divulging his fear of public speaking, Harry also talked about HIV and his work with his charity Sentebale, which he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 after visiting the African nation. "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," Harry explained.
"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."
Prince Harry said he hoped to give young HIV sufferers the childhood they deserve
"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."
