Prince Harry launches new philanthropic project not even a month after his royal exit
Prince Harry is making good on his promise to honor his duty to the Commonwealth even as he adjusts to his new life in the United States.
Nearly a month after he and Meghan Markle officially stepped back from their roles as senior members of the royal family, Harry launched a new philanthropic project Monday in support of the United Kingdom’s military community.
The online initiative, titled HeadFIT, will provide 24/7 access to mental health resources for military personnel overseas in the form of exercises and counseling. It was developed in partnership with the U.K. Ministry of Defence and King’s College London, as well as the Royal Foundation’s Heads Together campaign.
“I’ve long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society. For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them,” Harry wrote in a statement. “HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science.”
Prince Harry, who with wife Meghan delivered coronavirus meals in WeHo, jokes that quarantine life with an 11-month-old son is challenging enough.
Both veterans, like Harry himself, and those currently serving are eligible for the program, which offers tools for healthy body posture, breathing, self-compassion, problem solving and more.
“HeadFIT is a resource for everyone — whatever your job, whatever your rank, whatever you’ve got going on at home,” Harry said in a video on the HeadFIT website. “Our service personnel are vital role models in society, and we need you to be able to access that extra 10, maybe 15% — something that can only be attained when you adopt a regular routine for training the mind and the body as one single unit. I know this to be true. It works for me.”
HeadFIT comes on the heels of another, more spontaneous volunteer effort helmed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their new hometown of Los Angeles. Earlier this month, the couple linked up with Project Angel Food to deliver meals to vulnerable residents in West Hollywood amid the coronavirus crisis.
Prince Harry and wife Meghan, reportedly now Angelenos, are starting an uncertain new chapter as international celebrities and charity patrons.
The pair has also donated $112,000 in excess profit from their televised 2018 wedding to Feeding Britain’s efforts to help communities experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic.
Harry and Meghan recently fled Canada for L.A., where they are quarantining with their 11-month-old son, Archie.
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