Harry's Netflix claims debunked from 'no support' to dig about blown cover

31 August 2023 , 11:10

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Harry's Netflix claims debunked from 'no support' to dig about blown cover

Prince Harry's brand new Netflix series Heart of Invictus is finally here - but it seems there has been some confusion over some of the claims made by the duke in the show.

The five-part documentary follows former military servicemen and women on their road to the Invictus Games - a Paralympic-style sporting competition Harry set up in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans. And even though this series focuses more on the competitors and their stories rather than Harry, he also features heavily in the programme.

And just in the same way that the previous Netflix show Harry & Meghan courted controversy, it seems Heart of Invictus is also facing scrutiny....

No support claim

One of the biggest talking points from the five-part series comes in the second episode when Invictus competitors are asked about the mental toll of going to war - and Harry is asked about how if affected him.

Prince Harry's Heart of Invictus docuseries is now on Netflix (Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

In what many have perceived to be a royal dig, he says he "didn't have that support structure, that network or that expert advice to identify actually what was going on with me," after admitting he was angry when he returned from a tour of duty. He also claims that returning from Afghanistan triggered unresolved trauma caused by the tragic death of his mother Diana in 1997, when Harry was just 12 - and that he only considered therapy once he was left "lying on the floor in the foetal position."

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Appearing to take aim at the Firm, Harry says: "Look, I can only speak for my personal experience, my tour of Afghanistan in 2012 flying Apaches, somewhere after that there was an unravelling and the trigger for me was actually returning from Afghanistan.

"But the stuff that was coming up was from 1997, from the age of 12, losing my mum at such a young age, the trauma that I had I was never really aware of, it was never discussed, I didn't really talk about it - and I suppressed it like most youngsters would have done but when it all came fizzing out I was bouncing off the walls, I was like what is going on here, I am now feeling everything as opposed to being numb.

"The biggest struggle for me is no-one around me could really help, I didn't have that support structure that network or that expert advice to identify what was actually going on with me. Unfortunately, like most of us the first time you really consider therapy is when you are lying on the floor in the foetal position probably wishing you had dealt with some of this stuff previously and that's what I really want to change."

Prince Harry with older brother Prince William (Getty Images)

However, it seems his recollection is in complete contrast to comments Harry previously made in 2017, when he credited older brother Prince William with helping him to seek therapy.

Speaking on the Mad World podcast with Bryony Gordon in 2017, he told how after returning from Afghanistan, his friends and family said: "Look, you really need to deal with this. It is not normal to think that nothing has affected you." And he added: "It's all about timing. And for me personally, my brother, you know, bless him, he was a huge support to me. He kept saying this is not right, this is not normal, you need to talk to [someone] about stuff, it's OK."

Meanwhile, in 2016 Harry also talked in an interview about the support he received from the Army after serving in Afghanistan. He explained at the time: "The Army put you through a day, two-day course on the way back through Cyprus, which is crucial to everybody."

Deployment claim

In another part of the show, Harry talks about his first deployment to Afghanistan, where his presence was kept secret for security reasons. His tour of duty came to abrupt end when his cover was blown and he was forced to travel back to the UK.

Prince Harry deployed to Afghanistan twice (AFP/Getty Images)

In Heart of Invictus, Harry seems to suggest that that it was the media in the UK that revealed his location and ultimately forced him to return home early. However, it was actually a US website and an Australian women's magazine who first reported Harry's location in Afghanistan, which prompted his early return home for his and his fellow soldiers' safety.

Wounded claim

In the same part of the documentary, Harry describes the moment he saw severely injured service personnel being flown back to the UK. He explains how a curtain on the flight flew back and gave him a glimpse inside the air hospital, where stricken soldiers were receiving crucial treatment.

In Heart of Invictus, he credits this moment in 2008 with inspiring him to found the Invictus Games and raise awareness of the troops' plight. He recalled how he wanted to raise awareness because he felt their struggles were being ignored. "As we took off, the curtain in front of me blew open and all you could see was the air hospital. Three young soldiers all wrapped in plastic and their bodies in pieces. I saw what only people had talked about. That was the real trigger to see the real cost of war.

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Harry was in the Army for 10 years (PA)

"Not just those individuals but also their families and how their lives would change forever. Stepping off the plane I was angry at what happened to these guys — I was angry that the media weren't covering it. But at that point it wasn't clear to me what needed to be done."

However, this comment too has been disputed with many arguing that there was huge coverage and support for British troops in Afghanistan as well as several extremely high-profile charity campaigns, such as Help for Heroes, for injured soldiers and the families of those that lost their lives.

Jennifer Newton