Prince Harry Discloses Two-Week Depression After 2019 Canada Move

Prince Harry revealed in a MasterClass program that he experienced a two-week depressive episode shortly after relocating to Canada in late 2019 with his wife Meghan Markle and their son Prince Archie. The couple spent six weeks in Canada before moving to the United States, intending to create distance from royal responsibilities and media pressure. Harry described an "adrenaline crash" occurring within two to three days of arrival—a physiological response he had never experienced before. He explained that years of high-stress royal duties had conditioned his body to rely on constant stress and adrenaline to function, leaving him feeling "useless around the house" and unable to operate normally without that stimulation.

Harry linked his mental health struggles to long-term, unprocessed grief over his mother Princess Diana's death in a 1997 car crash in Paris, when he was 12 years old. He disclosed that for 15 to 20 years, he responded to questions about his wellbeing with "I'm fine," while experiencing what he described as "emotional shutdown" and numbness. He attributed this emotional numbness partly to feeling disloyal or guilty about the prospect of being happy without his mother. Harry recounted that after crying at Diana's funeral, he did not cry for nearly two decades. He also shared that his unresolved grief drove him to join the military at age 20, describing it as "the perfect distraction."

The revelations came during an online MasterClass titled "Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Loss," in which Harry discussed his experiences with neuroscientist and University of Arizona professor Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor. The program was released ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2026, and benefits two bereavement charities: Comfort Zone Camp and Scotty's Little Soldiers. Harry disclosed that he had established a personal rule to never be away from his family for more than ten days.

According to Harry, a turning point came when a therapist suggested he use his mother's perfume to "unlock" his emotions, which he said allowed him to understand that "she just wanted me to be happy." In January 2020, shortly after their Canada stay, Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back from senior royal duties. The couple spent six years in California before recently returning to the United Kingdom with their two children, Prince Archie (now seven) and Princess Lilibet (now five).