Why Prince Harry's New Job Makes Perfect Sense Given His Family's History Of Mental Health Struggles
The prince joins a San Francisco company, BetterUp Inc.
Bart Lenoir / Shutterstock Prince Harry didn’t take long to jump into a new gig following the bombshell interview he and Meghan Markle had with Oprah. After the royals left the spotlight, they kept to themselves for a bit before opening up about their split with Buckingham Palace on national television. After setting the story straight, however, it seems that they’re jumping at the chance to get involved with work they really care about.
What is Prince Harry's New Job?
Prince Harry is taking a job at BetterUp Inc. He’ll be the chief impact officer at the San Francisco tech company. BetterUp is focused on providing life coaching to individuals and organizations to help them achieve their goals.
The company operates in a similar way to online dating sites. The service employs technology and artificial intelligence to match life coaches to an individual person and their circumstances. It’s an innovative idea that could prove to benefit productivity and fulfillment in the workplace and beyond.
BetterUp CEO, Alexi Robichaux, defends the appointment against allegations that the arrangement is simply one meant to generate buzz.
“I think the main thing is sure, we'll take the PR,” Robichaux told CNN. “That's not why we started working with Prince Harry. His insight and unique experiences is hard to put into words. That's where we're focused and designed the role around.”
Harry’s ambition seems to be in line with the mission of the organization.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle both admit struggling with mental health issues.
The prince and Markle both spoke at length about mental health awareness and the effects that both of them felt while facing some of the darkest moments of their lives.
Markle admitted to thoughts of suicide while attempting to fit herself into the niche the royal family had carved for her. Her courage to admit that she needed help, along with the will she possessed to force the issue, may have caused a rift in the family, but it also seems to have saved the couple and their family from further harm.
Harry’s role at BetterUp may seem a bit familiar to his previous gig, that of a “working member of the royal family.” He’ll be working as an ambassador of sorts, providing input on operational factors that he’s familiar with, like charitable contributions and mental health advocacy.
The job offer comes with the admission that Harry himself has previously received coaching from the company. It’s possible that’s among the list of reasons they’ve combined powers. As Harry says that his own coach provided him with a “fresh perspective,” he’s likely hoping to amplify the effectiveness of the organisation to reach the public at large.
Mental health care is still very much lacking, even in the more progressive corners of the world. According to recent data, 13% of the global population suffers from at least one mental health condition. Even so, as underreported as these things are due to shame and stigma, the prevalence is likely much higher.
Even higher rates of job dissatisfaction abound in the world. As per 2019, India had the highest rate of professional satisfaction with 89%. The U.S. was 3rd on the list with 78%.
While it remains to be seen what exactly Prince Harry will be doing at BetterUp, it’s likely enough that he’ll be working to address the root causes of some of the world’s cognitive and vocational negativity, raise awareness for these issues, and serve as a brand leader for the company.
At around the same time, Prince Harry has taken a second job with the Aspen Institute. The Institute has launched a Commission on Information Disorder, which it describes as a six-month study to review and reverse “America’s urgent mis- and disinformation challenge.”
This second initiative is also close to the prince’s heart, as he and his family have been attacked relentlessly over the years by tabloid journals and hit pieces. The fact that his mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a paparazzi-involved car accident has probably never been very far from his thoughts.
Joining Harry on the Aspen commission are other high-profile figures like journalist Katie Couric. Chris Krbs, an expert in cybersecurity, and Rashad Robinson, a leader in racial equity, will also be working with Aspen.
The prince is no stranger to advocating for solutions to issues of grave import to public health. Megan and Harry co-founded their own company, Archewell, to push for systemic change in the world. The new positions he’s taking on will see him working toward that end yet again.
Wishing Prince Harry luck in his endeavors is like wishing us all luck that we’ll endeavor to become the best versions of ourselves.
Kevin Lankes, MFA, is an editor and author. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Here Comes Everyone, Pigeon Pages, Owl Hollow Press, The Huffington Post, The Riverdale Press, and more.