The Duke and Duchess of Sussex feature in an emotional trailer for Harry’s mental health documentary series with Oprah Winfrey, and footage hints that he will revisit the trauma he experienced after his mother’s death.
The two-minute trailer includes archive film from the 1997 funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, showing Harry, then 12, standing with his head bowed as his mother’s coffin passes by, alongside the Prince of Wales, who then turns to speak to his son.
Harry is shown in conversation with Winfrey, saying: “To make that decision to receive help is not a sign of weakness. In today’s world, more than ever, it is a sign of strength.”
The Apple TV+ series, The Me You Can’t See, which starts on Friday, features several celebrities talking about mental health. The trailer shows clips of interviews with Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Glenn Close and the San Antonio Spurs basketball player DeMar DeRozan.
Several of the interviewees appear close to tears as they discuss their experiences. Winfrey says: “It’s just something I accepted.”
Meghan makes a brief appearance, coming into shot at Harry’s side. The duchess is smiling and wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Raising the Future”. Later on the Sussexes’ son, Archie, is shown sitting on his mother’s lap, in footage filmed at around the time of his first birthday.
Harry says in the trailer: “The results of this year will be felt for decades. The kids, families, husbands, wives, everybody.”
Harry and Winfrey are the co-creators and executive producers of the project. The Sussexes’ Archewell website says they will guide “honest discussions about mental health and emotional wellbeing, while opening up about their personal journeys and struggles”.
Last week Harry appeared to suggest that his father and the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh had failed as parents. Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast, he said he wanted to “break the cycle” of “genetic pain and suffering” for the sake of his own children. He said of Charles: “He’s treated me the way he was treated, so how can I change that for my own kids?”
Harry has previously spoken of the emotional turmoil he faced after his mother was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997, saying he spent nearly two decades “not thinking” about her death before eventually getting help after a period of “total chaos”.
• In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978
