Prince Harry who at that time was 12-years-old admitted he ignored his grief during his adolescent years, only came to realise it when he was on the 'verge on punching someone'.
In a candid interview with The Telegraph, he said,
“My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help? It’s only going to make you sad. It’s not going to bring her back".
The royal who also turned to boxing to ease his aggression said he was saved by opening up about his feelings and it was not until the age of 28 that he sought help from mental health professionals. He revealed this in the interview as he launches the Heads Together mental health campaign with Princess William and Kate.
“It was 20 years of not thinking about it and then two years of total chaos… I didn’t know what was wrong with me,” he said.
Eventually Prince William encouraged him to seek help after he 'buried his head in the sand' and refused to think about his mother after her death. Though he believes this had become a 'problem' during much of his twenties he pretended 'everything was fine' but did not know 'how to deal' with his grief.
His grief also led to complications in his personal life and was on the verge of a 'complete breakdown' as he was put under public scrutiny. His mother's death also had a far greater effect on his mental health than his time spent in Afghanistan.
The royal now feels he is in a 'great place' after speaking openly about his struggles.
“What we’re trying to do is normalise the conversation to the point where anyone can sit down and have a coffee and say, ‘You know what, I’ve had a really shit day. Can I just tell you about it’?” he said.