The Duchess of Sussex encouraged Prince Harry to open up about his mental health on a podcast, it has been revealed. Meghan Markle had been dating the royal for almost a year when Harry disclosed on Bryony Gordon's Mad World podcast that he had sought counselling while still struggling with his grief in his late twenties over his mother Princess Diana's death.
WATCH: Meghan visits the Luminary Bakery
In a new interview for The Daily Telegraph, Bryony explains that former it was actress Meghan who actively encouraged her then boyfriend to have an open conversation about mental health and his own personal struggles, in a royal first. "It was Meghan who had encouraged her then boyfriend to do the podcast about his mental health with me," she writes. "I felt we were on the same wavelength." Just the year before, Harry, together with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, set up the Heads Together charity to reduce the stigma around mental health.
READ: Harry and Meghan dress baby Archie in an England rugby babygrow!
Harry joined Meghan at a roundtable discussion on gender equality last week
During the interview at social enterprise the Luminary Bakery in Camden, Meghan spoke about the importance of showing vulnerability, while talking to victims of domestic violence: "We get into this habit of wanting things done immediately nowadays. There's a culture of instant gratification, of the instant fix. But we aren't mechanical objects that need to be fixed. You're a wounded creature that needs to be healed, and that takes time."
A spokesperson from the Luminary Bakery tells HELLO!: "The Duchess was invited earlier this week to visit our new bakery and training centre in Camden. We were so pleased to be able to give the Duchess an update on our work and a tour of our new facilities, while also spending time with past and present graduates who shared their personal stories with her. It was a fantastic visit and a real boost to the women who we support. A truly special day for the Luminary family!"
MORE: Meghan Markle phoned MP in private to thank her for showing 'solidarity'
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently gave emotional interviews about the struggles of being in the spotlight in an ITV documentary about their royal tour of Africa. Meghan teared up as she spoke to presenter Tom Bradby about the difficulties she encounters as a new member of the royal family, while juggling life as a new mother and a newlywed.
Harry also admitted that his struggles with the media are a direct result of his mother's death, explaining: "Every time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash it takes me straight back so in that respect it’s the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best."
The Duke of Sussex is heading to Japan to watch the England rugby team take on South Africa in the World Cup final on Saturday, while the Duchess revealed that she and Archie will be tuning in from home – with the royal tot sporting an England babygro!
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