Prince Harry Has ‘Mental Health Issues,’ Says Queen’s Former Spokesman

Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, has hit back at Prince Harry following that news that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, would not be spending Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham. According to the Daily Mail, Arbiter has claimed that he worries that the move will only further the rift between Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, and added that the queen is trying to be understanding because of Harry’s “mental health issues.”

As previously covered by The Inquisitr, Harry and Meghan decided to forgo the holidays at Sandringham this year, instead deciding to spend it with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.

Though Arbiter said that most in the royal family understood the need to alternate holidays — pointing out that William and Kate have occasionally spent Christmas with the Middletons — he added that the queen hoped that the respite would enable him to focus on his own mental health.

“I think the queen is letting [Harry] get on with it, she’s very pragmatic and certainly understand that Harry’s got mental health issues and they need to sort it out,” Arbiter said.

The Duke of Sussex made headlines last month about his mental health when he disclosed in the recent documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey that he still suffered from the trauma of losing his mother.

“Every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click… it takes me straight back,” he confessed, via HuffPost.

Arbiter also pointed out other instances where Harry looked ill at ease, like this past Remembrance Sunday. The former spokesman to the queen noted that the prince looked “tense,” especially in comparison to his former Suits actress wife.

“She was very relaxed, very calm and Harry was very tense,” he noted.

Though Arbiter stated that the queen hoped that the break would be good for the soldier prince, he said he has his own doubts. The spokesman added that he’s worried a Sussex absence would only further the alleged rift between the redheaded prince and his brother, Prince William.

The reported feud has gotten so bad that there are reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were thinking of decamping to Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles. Arbiter referenced these whispers when he added that Harry had to “sort himself out.”

“He’s got to decide what it is he wants to do,” Arbiter added. “There is a lot of speculation about him dropping out of the royal family, but…there’s no way he can escape from that.”

Arbiter concluded by saying that he believes it is key for the duke to fix his relationship with his brother, and that he hopes Meghan could help mend their rift.