Prince William may have been the first person to urge his younger brother to consider therapy, but Harry claims heeding that advice only drove a bigger wedge between the couple.
In his latest promotional interview for his memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex told The Telegraph he wished his brother “would feel the same benefits” he has experienced since seeking treatment.
Harry has been open in his memoirs and subsequent media rounds about using ayahuasca, a psychedelic, during his treatment with a professional.
He says it was that experience that provided “the acceptance and realization that they [Princess Diana] gone but that she wants me to be happy and that she is very present in my life.
“As two brothers, if one of you is going through this experience and the other isn’t, then of course there’s another rift between you. Which is really sad.
“But as much as William was the first to even suggest therapy, I just wish he was able to feel the same benefits of it, rather than believing what he doesn’t have to.”
Harry was also filmed attending an EMDR therapy session in 2021, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – and praised the practice for helping him come to terms with his past
“I would never recommend people to do this recreationally,” said Harry (seen in 2004). “But when you’re going through a lot of loss, grief, or trauma, those things have a way of working like medicine.”
Ayahuasca — a South American herbal drug commonly brewed into a tea — is made from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub along with the stems of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine.
“The main components of ayahuasca — Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis — both have hallucinogenic properties,” says Healthline.
“When combined, these two plants form a potent psychedelic concoction that affects the central nervous system, leading to an altered state of consciousness that can include hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, and euphoria.”
In Spare, Harry revealed that William believes all of his therapy has made him delusional and asked if he was “brainwashed” by the therapist he saw.
The Duke of Sussex says his sibling was so concerned about what he was exposed to at his confidential sessions that he even asked to come along to one.
And after a particularly nasty fraternal argument in which William reportedly physically assaulted Harry, the “reserve” decided to call his therapist immediately afterwards – even before he spoke to his wife Meghan.
Harry has previously spoken of going into therapy to work through the trauma of his childhood, which included the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
He was only 12 when Diana tragically died in a car accident.
Prince Harry has reportedly claimed that his brother William grabbed his collar and threw him to the ground during a heated argument over his wife Meghan Markle
Now, Harry (seen with Diana in 1987) admitted he’d only cried once over the death of his mother – and said he was wracked with guilt at feeling he wasn’t emotional enough
The Duke praised EMDR – which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – for helping him deal with his past.
It is based on the principle that the mind can heal from trauma using external stimuli to help the brain process traumatic experiences and facilitate healing.
Elsewhere in the book, the 38-year-old also confessed to using cannabis and magic mushrooms, eventually hallucinating that a trash can was talking to him.
In a sit-down interview with 60 Minutes, Harry clarified that he would “never recommend that people do this recreationally.”
“But when you’re going through great loss, grief or trauma, when you’re doing it with the right people, those things work like a medicine,” he said.
“For me they removed the windshield, the windshield, the misery of loss. They dispelled this idea I had in my head that… I had to cry to prove to my mom that I missed her. Actually, she just wanted me to be happy.”
Harry (seen at her funeral) was only 12 when Diana died in a car accident
Prince Harry has revealed he has enough material to publish a second memoir, dropping almost half of the material he wrote in a first draft. Pictured: Copies of Harry’s memoir Spare at Foyles bookshop in London
What is ayahuasca?
According to Healthline, ayahuasca is an herbal psychedelic made from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub along with the stems of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine.
“This drink was used by ancient Amazonian tribes for spiritual and religious purposes and is still used as a sacred drink by some religious communities in Brazil and North America, including the Santo Daime,” it explained.
“The main components of ayahuasca – Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis – both have hallucinogenic properties.
“When combined, these two plants form a potent psychedelic concoction that affects the central nervous system, leading to an altered state of consciousness that can include hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, and euphoria.”
Harry’s attempt to get professional help began in his late 20s when he first saw an “adviser” at age 28, or around 2014 because he was “about to hit someone” and fearful of royal engagements would have.
It’s not clear when his therapy ended, but it appears there was a lull in his sessions before he met his wife Meghan.
In a series of candid interviews with Oprah Winfrey for the Apple+ series The Me You Can’t See, released in 2021, Harry recalled how Meghan suggested he see a therapist after their argument in the early days of their relationship had .
He also said he suffered from burnout in his late 20s as a result of a “frantic” royal engagement schedule and suffered “severe anxiety and panic attacks” until the age of 32, around the same time he met Meghan.
“I knew that if I didn’t do therapy and fix myself, I was going to lose this woman who I could spend the rest of my life with,” he told Oprah.
Prince Harry has also announced that he has enough material to publish a second memoir, dropping almost half of the material he wrote in a first draft.
Harry knew that including details about intimate moments with his family would generate backlash, but eventually decided he couldn’t tell his story truthfully without them.
However, there are details that he knew would cross the line. These memories were shared with his ghostwriter for context only and didn’t make it into the final version.
The Sussexes are said to have signed a four-book deal worth over £16million ($20million) with publishing giant Penguin Random House
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Harry previously told Oprah, “I knew that if I didn’t do therapy and fix myself, I was going to lose this woman who I could spend the rest of my life with.” Pictured with Meghan in January 2020