Prince Harry reflects on ‘past five years’ during World Mental Health speech

Just a day after receiving the Humanitarians of the Year award at Project Healthy Minds’ annual gala, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped out together to attend Project Healthy Minds’ annual World Mental Health Day Festival in New York City on Friday.

During the event, the couple’s Archewell Foundation hosted three panels to discuss about the harsh realities of the digital age for young people.

The Duke of Sussex took the stage to introduce the first session as the Duchess of Sussex sat in the front row.

“Thriving or Surviving: How Are Young People Doing in the Digital Age?Today is more than just about conversation — it’s about community,” Harry began.

He continued, “The past five years have taught us painfully that crises rarely arrive in isolation. The global pandemic stripped away the ordinary scaffolding of life and brought a measurable surge in anxiety, depression and loss of connection.”

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“Young people learning to navigate a digital world that wasn’t designed with their wellbeing. This is what we’ve discovered. Maintaining good mental health isn’t just an individual challenge, it is a community responsibility. Approach this way, everybody wins. That’s what today is about,” Prince Harry added.

Later on, Meghan Markle took the stage to introduce the second panel, “How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an International Mental Health Criss, And How We Can Reverse It,” featuring Katie Couric as moderator.

“For this next panel we’re going to turn to one of the most urgent questions facing families today: what’s happening to childhood and how and what do we do to allow our children to just be children,” she told the crowd.

Following the panels, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave hugs and chatted to those around them before leaving.