Prince Harry Unveils New Project 3 Years In The Making

Prince Harry officially stepped back as a senior working member of the royal family in March, but he’s still busy. 

The Duke of Sussex helped launch a new mental wellness tool called HeadFIT on Monday, in partnership with the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together program, Britain’s Ministry of Defense and King’s College London.

The services are intended for veterans and military members to improve and maintain their mental fitness, but Harry said “everyone” can use and benefit from the tool. 

“Today when we talk about fitness, we don’t just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry,” Harry, who served 10 years in the British army, says in a video on the website’s home page. “This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience, not just while wearing a uniform, but for the rest of your life.” 

He continues: “If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one. Some people run, others swim, cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit. But what do you do to stay mentally fit?”

The website allows the user to choose from four mental fitness goals: de-stress, drive, confidence and mood. It provides videos, audio and written resources to help people understand mental wellness approaches. 

Harry said in a separate statement that the project was three years in the making. He first announced the initiative in October 2017. 

“I’ve long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society,” he said in a separate statement about the project. “For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them. HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science.” 

Mental health has long been a focus for Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal Foundation. Though Harry and Meghan Markle split from the foundation last year, Kensington Palace said in a statement that both couples would continue to work on projects together, including ones for Heads Together. 

Also on Monday, the Heads Together campaign announced the first installment of its new mental health series, called “60 Second Support.” The minute-long bit promises helpful advice managing mental well-being amid the coronavirus pandemic.