Ahead of the Invictus Games in Toronto this September, Prince Harry opened up about helping wounded soldiers push past their mental scars -- and overcoming his own.
In a preview of a candid interview with CTV National News鈥� Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme, airing Friday night at 9 p.m. ET, Prince Harry spoke about his brainchild, an international sporting event that allows wounded soldiers to represent their countries once again on a global platform.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my fix,鈥� Prince Harry said of the Invictus Games, which will be held in
鈥淓verybody who is in the military and then leaves needs to be connected to something. I鈥檝e just sort of created my own thing to get them all to come to us,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd no matter what country they are from, it鈥檚 a meeting of minds. Everybody knows what they鈥檝e been through鈥nd that鈥檚 what I love.鈥�
Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, rising to the rank of Captain. He is the only member of the Royal Family to have been deployed to the front lines in Afghanistan.
鈥淥nce you wear that uniform, you鈥檙e the same as everybody else,鈥� he told LaFlamme. 鈥淚 convinced myself for 10 years that, while I was there, I was one of the lads. I was doing a job and I had a role.鈥�
Prince Harry has also been speaking out about the importance of mental health and the need to help wounded soldiers heal more than their physical scars.
In discussing how mental health issues can affect soldiers during and after deployment, Prince Harry opened up about his own emotions in the years since his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a 1997 car crash in Paris.
鈥淚 lost my mom when I was 12 so (my) emotions were locked away very, very early on,鈥� he said, recalling how his mother would 鈥減ut everybody before herself.鈥�
He also highlighted his mother鈥檚 work to advance various causes over the years and 鈥渢aking the cameras鈥� with her to places where mainstream western media had never been before.
Like his mother, Prince Harry is also using his clout to promote his message 鈥� the importance of mental health and continued overall support for armed forces.
鈥淚f you are one person, it鈥檚 very, very hard to come forward,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut what we鈥檝e managed to create is a platform and a community where people and individuals and families as well can all come together and share those experiences and know for themselves that they鈥檙e not alone,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he general public across the world want to support their armed forces. And what better way to do it this year, in Canada.鈥�
The full one-hour special 鈥淧rince Harry: Journey to Invictus鈥� airs Friday night at 9 p.m. ET on CTV.
