Originally published on hellomagazine.com
Prince Harry has inspired the world with his kind acts this year - particularly in getting people to open up and talk about their mental health.
The Duke of Sussex has always followed in the kind footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana. His tireless campaigning to encourage people to get tested for HIV following on from his mother's work to remove the stigma surrounding the virus has been inspiring to watch, and his decision to co-founded charity Sentebale with his friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV status is just one example of his commitment.
More recently the Prince has also been on a mission to help people seek the mental health support they need without fear of judgement. In his role as Chief Impact Officer for BetterUp, the inventor of virtual coaching, the Duke has talked bravely about his own experience with mental health and therapy, speaking to the hearts of many people across the globe. BetterUp is focused on coaching and what they call mental fitness.
Alexi Robichaux, BetterUp co-founder and CEO, told HELLO!: "Since joining BetterUp as Chief Impact Officer in 2021, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex has been an integral part of our mission to elevate the global conversation around mental fitness.
"He helped spearhead critical initiatives such as defining our commitments to social impact, the Pledge 1%, and the work we do with active duty service personnel, veterans and their families. His kindness, authenticity and leadership at BetterUp, as well as through other organisations, has inspired many to seek the support they need to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
"I'm grateful for the work he has done and feel energised by his vision and dedication to continuing to raise awareness for mental health."
In a further act of kindness, the Prince will also donate some of the proceeds from the publication of his book Spare, due out in January, to children's charity WellChild, of which he is a patron (a further donation will go to his charity Sentable). Recently, the Duke met with the young WellChild’s Award winners, surprising them with a wonderful zoom call after sadly having to miss their awards ceremony at the last minute, as it fell on the day his grandmother, the Queen, passed away.
WellChild’s chief executive Matt James told HELLO!: "We were delighted to hear the wonderful news of The Duke’s kind donation to WellChild. This will make a huge difference to the work that we do for seriously ill children and their families across the UK.
"The Duke has been Patron of WellChild since 2007 and has always taken great interest in our work. It is a particularly challenging time for the families we support, so this act of kindness has come just when we needed it most."
