03 January 2024 , 12:08
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Both Prince Harry and Prince William have worked for years to highlight mental health issues as part of their philanthropic duties as members of the Royal Family.
However, in his memoir Spare, which was released last year, Harry detailed an occasion when his elder brother allegedly took his own mental health struggles with panic attacks and anxiety less than seriously.
After witnessing Harry suffer from the symptoms of a panic attack, he claimed William had such a harsh reaction to his younger brother during this moment of difficulty, that Harry was left absolutely devastated.
The Duke of Sussex wrote that he went through a period in 2015 when he found public speaking really difficult to manage because his anxiety levels were really high at that time.
His role as a working royal meant that to a certain degree, public speaking in front of large numbers of people was a necessity, and something he was used to after many years. Eventually, he found himself rendered "incapable" of fulfilling this part of his duty because of debilitating panic attacks.
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He described that "hours before a speech or public appearance I'd be soaked in sweat" from the moment he buttoned up the suit he was to wear to the engagement, and once he was there he would "be unable to think, my mind buzzing with fear".
This left Harry going through a period where he avoided giving speeches and he tried to minimise the number of times he would have to speak in public.
On one occasion, there was no way out of it, and Harry found himself forced to confront his anxiety and give a speech. While he managed to do it, he claimed he had felt on the brink of fainting during it, and once he was off stage, he was soaked in sweat.
At this point, William reportedly approached him and laughed at him for being so sweaty. "'Harold! Look at you! You're drenched!' I couldn't fathom his reaction. Him of all people. He'd been present for my very first panic attack. With Kate... And now he was teasing me? I couldn't imagine how he could be so insensitive," Harry wrote.
According to the mental health charity Mind, the best way to help someone around you who is having a panic attack is to encourage them to take slow, deep breaths, and to take their focus away from the symptoms onto a repetitive task like stamping their feet or counting.
The charity also advises taking them to a quiet spot where they can really focus on their breathing and directly asking how you can help which "can support them to feel more in control themselves."
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