Inside Prince Harry's lifelong battle with depression: How the illness took hold of him as a troubled youngster but then spiralled to a 'very dark place' during Megxit - and who in his family he blame

For all the gilded trappings of royal life, Prince Harry’s latest reflections have reopened one of the saddest chapters in the House of Windsor: the private pain he says began in boyhood and later deepened into something far darker when his world was turned upside down.

In a striking new video, Harry looked straight into the camera and spoke about losing precious memories of Princess Diana. He said he could no longer remember his mother’s laugh and struggled to picture her face, a heartbreaking admission that has left many royal watchers wondering just how long grief has been shaping his life behind palace walls.

According to reports, Harry’s struggle with depression did not begin in adulthood, but in the years after Diana’s death, when he was still a deeply troubled youngster trying to navigate unimaginable public mourning. Britain watched the young prince walk behind his mother’s coffin in one of the most haunting royal images of modern times, but insiders have long suggested the true emotional cost was buried for years.

As he grew older, Harry often cultivated the image of the cheerful spare: the soldier prince, the joker, the charismatic royal who could light up a room. Yet beneath that public persona, he has repeatedly hinted that anger, sadness and unresolved grief were never far away. Fans will remember his past candour about seeking help and finally confronting emotions he had tried to shut down.

What makes this latest chapter so explosive is the suggestion that the situation worsened dramatically during Megxit. According to reports and Harry’s own previous comments, the period surrounding his royal exit with Meghan became a "very dark place", with pressure mounting from every direction: family tensions, media scrutiny, public backlash and the collapse of trust within the Firm.

That phrase alone will send shivers through palace watchers, because it speaks to far more than a family disagreement. It suggests a man already carrying old wounds who then found himself plunged into fresh turmoil just as the monarchy was entering one of its most turbulent modern eras.

And then comes the most sensitive question of all: who does Harry blame? Royal insiders have long claimed that Harry believes certain family members failed to understand the depth of his distress and were unwilling, or unable, to offer the support he felt he needed. Some reports have pointed to his deep frustration with the royal institution itself, while others suggest he holds particular resentment over how Diana’s legacy, his role in the family and Meghan’s treatment were handled.

There has also been endless speculation that his pain became entangled with old feelings about King Charles and Prince William. Whether that is entirely fair is another matter, and one fiercely debated by royal fans. Supporters of Harry believe he was a vulnerable son and husband pushed to breaking point, while critics argue he has too often aired private family grievances in public.

The wider reaction is likely to be split all over again. Many will feel profound sympathy for a prince still haunted by childhood trauma, especially after such a raw admission about losing even the sound of his mother’s laugh. Others will see another deeply personal disclosure that risks reopening rifts with a family already bruised by years of very public fallout.

Either way, the emotional force of his words is hard to ignore. In a dynasty built on stoicism, duty and silence, Harry has chosen exposure instead, pulling back the curtain on the mental toll of being royal in a way few before him ever dared.

The question now is what this means for the future. Could greater honesty eventually lead to healing, or will each new revelation harden positions on both sides of the Atlantic? And after hearing Harry’s latest confession, do you feel more sympathy for him, or do you think the royal family has been unfairly cast as the villain?