Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wrapped up the third day of their trip to Australia with a private charity event, where Harry delivered the keynote address and made moving comments about his mental health and experiences with grief.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the InterEdge Summit at the CENTREPIECE venue at Melbourne Park on Thursday, April 16 (local time). It was previously announced that Prince Harry would be a keynote speaker on workplace mental health at the summit on leadership in the workplace.

While speaking to the audience in a 19-minute address, Harry, 41, said he had felt “lost, betrayed or completely powerless” during his life as wife Meghan, 44, watched on.

The Duke told the audience that there was a “lot in the world right now leaving us feeling anxious, stressed, helpless, powerless and completely overwhelmed,” PA Media reported.

“When I was invited to speak at this summit, I wasn’t sure whether I was expected to speak as someone who, despite everything, has their s— together. Or as someone who, despite what it may look like, actually doesn’t have his s— together.” Harry continued. “But I was struck by something quite simple — that while my experiences may be unusual, the feelings that come with them are not.”

Harry then commented on his experience wth grief amid the loss of his mother Princess Diana, who died following a car accident in Paris in August 1997.

“In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age,” Harry said. “Grief does not disappear because we ignore it. Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you,” he added, per PA Media.

“There have been many times when I’ve felt overwhelmed,” Harry continued. “Times when I’ve felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless. Times when the pressure – externally and internally — felt constant. And times when, despite everything going on, I still had to show up pretending everything was okay, so as not to let anyone down.”

“For many years I was numb to it, and perhaps that was easier then, but I also didn’t yet have the tools to deal with it,” he added.

Harry also opened up about how his time in the military helped him build resilience, saying that the experience, which featured two tours of duty to Afghanistan, taught him resilience wasn’t about pushing issues down but building the capacity to deal with those that comes up.

In a discussion after his address with Australian business leader and former politician Brendan Nelson, Harry said that after his mother “died just before my 13th birthday,” he felt alienated from his royal destiny as he struggled with her death and grief.

“I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role — wherever this is headed, I don’t like it,’ ” Harry said, PA Media reported. “It killed my mum and I was very much against it, and I stuck my head in the sand for years and years. Eventually I realized, well, hang on, if there was somebody else in this position, how would they be making the most of this platform and this ability and the resources that come with it to make a difference in the world?”

“And also, what would my mum want me to do? And that really changed my own perspective,” he added.

The Duke also said that becoming a husband and father — he and Meghan share Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — focused his perspective and that finding real purpose was steadying.

“When a parent is overwhelmed, children feel it. When someone is supported, families feel it,” he noted, PA Media reported. “For me, one of the biggest shifts came when I realized that asking for help isn’t a weakness. It’s very much a form of strength.”

A statement ahead of the event said it will convene “industry leaders, policymakers, practitioners and advocates to share practical strategies for building psychologically safe, mentally healthy and high-performing workplaces. With a strong emphasis on organizational responsibility and evidence-based change, the event will equip leaders with the insights and tools needed to create lasting improvements in workplace culture and well-being.”

According to the event’s official website, the InterEdge Summit “is a professional development summit designed to equip leaders, practitioners, and changemakers with the knowledge and tools to create mentally healthy, safe and high-performing workplaces. Grounded in data, evidence and proven approaches, the Summit goes beyond lived experience to deliver practical strategies that drive real and lasting organizational change.”

Several of the events on Meghan and Harry’s first Australia tour since 2018 have focused on mental health.

Prior to the summit, the couple visited mental health youth charity batyr, where they spoke with a group of young people about social media and mental health, also commenting on their own experiences. Harry also made a solo stop in Melbourne at a family event held by the men’s health charity, Movember. Addressing a crowd that included fathers and children from the local community as well as groups and representatives from parenting and family organizations, the prince got candid about his initial fears about becoming a father to his and Meghan’s two children.

“Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids,” he said during the discussion with Movember’s global director of men’s health research, Dr. Zac Seidler. “And I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with and therefore, prepare myself to basically cleanse myself of the past.”

The Duke of Sussex concluded his appearance by reminding fathers that they are “not alone” as they navigate the realities of parenthood.

“To the dads and soon-to-be dads: yes, it’s messy. You’ll have a rollercoaster of emotions — and don’t judge yourself,” he said.

Prince Harry also traveled to Canberra to visit the Australian War Memorial, met with Indigenous Veterans, and attended a reception for Invictus Australia, the organization he founded for veterans’ sports, during his short trip Down Under.

Meghan also had her own solo outings during the trip, visiting a shelter for women experiencing family violence, homelessness and related challenges.