The British media has been utterly desperate for Prince Harry to say something – anything – about this ‘Queen Consort Camilla’ nonsense. They’ve been trying to bait him, they’ve organized “sources” to speak about how Harry likely feels, and clearly, Prince Charles has leaked to the papers that he discussed the issue with both of his sons. Harry remained silent… until now. He popped up for a video chat with his mate Gareth Thomas, a rugby player who is HIV-positive. Thomas has done a lot of work around HIV-testing, and this is not the first time Thomas and Harry have worked together. Harry has always done a lot to carry out his mother’s work on AIDS/HIV, and this week is National HIV Testing Week in the UK. So Harry’s first public words following the “Queen Camilla” story were about an issue his mother cared about deeply. Just so.
Prince Harry joined forces with rugby player Gareth Thomas, who revealed in 2019 that he is HIV positive, in support of National HIV Testing Week 2022 in the U.K.
Speaking with Thomas, who created the Tackle HIV campaign, over video chat from the California home he shares with wife Meghan Markle and their two children, the Duke of Sussex opened up about continuing to advocate for HIV awareness — 35 years after his mother Princess Diana opened the U.K.’s first HIV/AIDS unit at London’s Middlesex Hospital, a space that would exclusively care for patients with the virus.
Prince Harry, 37, noted that at the height of the AIDS epidemic, commercials and advertisements sought to “polarize” those who had HIV or even spoke about it.
“What my mom did, and what so many other people did at that time, was to smash that wall down. To kick the door open and say, ‘No. When people are suffering, then we need to learn more, and if there’s a stigma that’s playing such a large part of it, then what we really need to do is talk about it more,’ ” Harry said. “That kind of made people feel a little bit uncomfortable to start with. But stigma thrives on silence. We know that…. What my mom started all those years ago was creating empathy and understanding…but also curiosity, which I think was really powerful.”
Prince Harry said most people had a “blissful ignorance” towards the illness because they don’t believe they are at risk for contracting it. He went on to say that although he knew he wasn’t in a risk group, he hoped getting tested would help others feel more comfortable in finding out their own status.
“Every single one of us has a duty, or at least an opportunity, to get tested ourselves to make it easier for everybody else to get tested,” he said. “It will undoubtedly save a life or, at the very least, encourage someone who is living in fear to come forward and get to know their own status, which in turn will save a life.”
Yes. HIV and HIV testing is still so stigmatized and honestly, the youths don’t get it. They just don’t comprehend how bad it was in the 1980s and 1990s. I love that Harry continues to normalize HIV conversations and the need for testing. I love that this is how he extends his mother’s legacy, all while The Other Brother disappears for weeks at a time.
PS… these photos are from 2019, when Harry went to Twickenham to meet Gareth, and they talked about HIV testing kits and the importance of testing. That was back when Harry was patron of the Rugby League! It’s kind of notable that he’s talking to his rugby mate this week too, especially since the Duchess of Cambridge just took over his rugby patronages last week.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Former rugby player Gareth Thomas greets Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.,Image: 540840585, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speaks next to former rugby player Gareth Thomas during a visit to the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.,Image: 540840596, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speaks in front of a display of testing kits, next to former rugby player Gareth Thomas, Harlequins Captain Chris Robshaw, and Ian Green, CEO of the Terence Higgins Trust, during a visit to the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.,Image: 540882723, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speaks with Former rugby player Gareth Thomas and Harlequins Captain Chris Robshaw during a visit at the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.
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- Former rugby player Gareth Thomas speaks next to Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Harlequins Captain Chris Robshaw at the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.
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- Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, looks at former rugby player Gareth Thomas at the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.
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- Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, hugs former rugby player Gareth Thomas during his visit at the Twickenham Stoop in London, Britain November 8, 2019.
Out of the the two (this vs the holiday in Dubai) it’s easier to see which one’s the more dignified leader
Living well (and doing good) are the best revenge. Keep doing what you’re doing, H!
YES! I actually laughed out loud when I read the article on DM. Well done, Harry, well done!
I must admit that I avoid the Daily Fail like the plague! I never read their articles regarding Harry, and Meghan, as they are always looking for ways to bash them with anything with what their tiny brains come up with.
How humbling of Harry to identify that he is continuing his Mums work and that her shoes are too great to fill. Harry is certainly an advocate that any organization would be proud to call upon him, and Meghan as well. I still enjoy the fact that she wrote to P&G, I think it was, when she was just a wee little girl of about 8 or 9 years old.
Harry and Meghan have been working towards highlighting and trying to create better solutions and highlight the issues at hand for everyday folks.
I remember how terrifying it was during the ‘80’s to have sex of any kind!!! It was no glove, no love for me and my girlfriends. We didn’t know how severe is was and we were uneducated. But you certainly saw the way that people that were HIV positive were treated,m especially gay men. It was horrendous!! They were treated like garbage and it wasn’t right. I am glad that Diana pulled the curtain back. I remember how shocked everyone was in the US when Rock Hudson appeared on Doris Days talk show and the US saw the effects of HIV/AIDS, but Reagan was too homophobic to address the issue when his friend, Hudson, begged him for help. My gawd the Repugnant’s were awful then as they are now, just more open about it.
@ Anita, I just finished reading the DF’s article and watched the video. How awful that they couldn’t just give Harry and Gareth the page without bringing up Cowmilla and including the incompetent TOBB on the same article which is WHY I avoid them like the plague!
Gareth has a wonderful personality and is quite charming!! I loved how they both interacted as well!
@BothSidesNow read below @TigerMcQueen’s explanation of why this interview was a brilliant move, I enjoyed reading it.
BRF underestimates Harry to this day, they can not learn. Big kudos to Harry.
This is why people love Harry, because he has the incredible empathy that was Diana’s hallmark. He shows his feelings plain on his face, no artifice. That kind of genuineness cannot be copied or faked.
Exactly, there’s a kindness there that shows consistently in the little microexpressions photos capture in his face. One offs don’t mean much without context but it shows in similar scenarios every single time. His is a face that shows love for others at every turn.
TOBB more often shows irritation, boredom and lack of engagement.
@Leigh_s
“His is a face that shows love for others” is Prince Harry in a nutshell.
Your comment actually made me tear up
The most telling, for me, is the video of the little toddler who thought Harry was Santa Clause, kept petting his beard, and Meghan is clearly charmed. No awkwardness, no flailing, just simple human interaction of the best kind. They both ooze kindness and interest in those around them, which is apparently a serious life skill the rest of that family is lacking.
This is so great because, IIRC, Gareth was actually forced to go public with his diagnosis because the tabloids were threatening to expose him, and they may actually have exposed him to his parents, so the stigma is very much still present. I do appreciate how Harry doesn’t do one thing for a cause and then act like it’s very much over and done with, problem solved.
Thank you Jane for bringing up this very important fact, the British press threatened to expose Garth’s diagnosis which is beyond cruel, vile and reprehensible.
Yes, thank you Jane. It seems that the British rags were just as vicious then as they are now.
And I agree with all of you that you can’t fake the empathy and the resolute to bring up conversations that are unpleasant yet are necessary to discuss. Everyone that Harry works with carries the knowledge and assurances that Harry will not abandon them.
Ugh I just love this man😭. He is so consistent about the causes he champions and the people he works with. It’s so much more to him than just a photo op and that inherent compassion is why he was never meant for that vile family. Their loss and everyone else’s tremendous gain.
Second this!
Third.
Forth!!!
My gosh, Harry and Meghan will be champions their entire lives for all who need the help to highlight the challenges faced by millions everyday! I love them both tremendously and they ARE superstars for these reasons! Everyone that has the opportunity to work with them can rest easy knowing that neither of them will simply walk away once the photos are taken. Harry and Meghan are the epitome of duty to service!!
HIV testing was so scary in the 90s. It took awhile to get results and you had to go in person for them, with counselors on hand just in case. I was super careful in my single days but it was always a risk and you had to get tested. I love that kids today have so many fewer stigmas about sex but they didn’t grow up with this constant drum beat that AIDS is a death sentence.
Is AIDS an automatic death sentence still? I’ve seen commercials for medication for this that implies that your numbers can reach undetectable levels. I wonder if this might be why the youth aren’t as worried about it as they should be.
Yes, it is in many parts of the world.
It’s no longer a death sentence but only if detected soon enough hence the importance of testing. You can live a pretty decent life with the virus.
No, Harla, not anymore. There are Rx “cocktails” that can render the viral load almost undetectable in blood test. People can and do live long lives with HIV now.
I remember dating in the late 80s/early 90s, before a lot was known about HIV. You decided to be intimate with someone, and you’d both get tested and share your HIV test results. Now, you show your vax cards.
It’s definitely not. I am a medical coder and read charts all day, many of which are patients with HIV. The majority that I see have had it for many years and are maintaining their health with the right combos of meds.
Sub-Saharan Africa, with more than two-thirds of all people living with HIV globally, is the hardest hit region in the world, and unfortunately many of those infected can’t get access to meds. I read a fantastic book some years back called “The Wisdom of Whores” by Elizabeth Pisani, a journalist turned epidemiologist. She’s been working in HIV/AIDS research pretty much since its inception at all the big organizations and tells the story of the evolution of HIV/AIDS programs, which started out as shamefully poorly funded and are now overwhelmed with badly managed donor money. Personal and political ideologies have blocked the most effective programs, channeled money toward populations that don’t need it, used resources in the most inefficient ways possible. She’s a great writer and has a biting wit, and there’s a surprise ending which I won’t spoil for readers.
Thank you for that rec, Jaded. I’m so grateful for the medications but wish they were more accessible everywhere. Also hope for a day when there’s a vaccine for HIV. I don’t know enough about the science but I think that’s still a goal. PREP for prevention and drug cocktails are amazing and have saved lies and are so much more than when there was no treatment but a vaccine would be so good.
@ Jaded, if I understand the current HIV/AIDS situation in Africa and many African countries, the HIV/AIDS infection rate is still off of the charts as many African men are not practicing safe sex which has resulted in many children becoming orphans and/or the families are having to live with HIV/AIDS with no regard to managing the population with the necessary medications that are necessary but they aren’t being treated in Africa.
I will certainly have to check her book out. We are still very much living with HIV/AIDS, and with so many poor countries that aren’t treating the disease as well as those same countries don’t have the resources for treating the coronavirus as well.
@ Jaded, this was just released by NYT.
Luc Montagnier, a French virologist who shared a Nobel Prize for discovering the virus that causes AIDS, died on Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. He was 89.
@BothSidesNow – thanks for the information on Luc Montagnier’s death. He seemed to be half brilliant virologist and half covid conspiracy theorist. He insisted the covid virus was man-made, and that vaccines caused variants to develop. Strange isn’t it…
I love that he is doing this – love he is also acknowledging that men often feel moved to act rather than listen
I feel with the Duchess they make a pair that do both
A bloody great move, Harry, bloody great. This is how you figuratively show the middle finger to the BRF and BM. Once again, a blatant move ahead of the rest.
This was brilliant on Harry’s part. He dinged the idea of Queen Camilla by highlighting one of the biggest issues Diana was known for and emphasizing the reason WHY Diana was so beloved and why so many still are not happy about Chuck’s ‘darling wife.’ He dinged the RF who wouldn’t allow him to work with them even sometimes by continuing to work with someone from one of his old patronages. He dinged Mutton Buttons by showing just how you can interact with someone (from one her new patronages no less) and do something to actually help. He dinged Elegant Bill and his pointless, lightweight trip to Dubai by demonstrating what real work from the heart looks like. He dinged the BM by helping Thomas highlight his AIDS activism and remind people WHY Thomas became active this way, and how despicably the tabloids (that Harry’s own family works with) behaved and how depraved they are. Like in one fell swoop, he managed to poke at all of them.
It’s funny how the RF and the BM are so scared of Meghan when Harry has always been the one to speak out (or let his actions speak) against the establishment he grew up in. Harry has always been the one they should watch out for.
Wow @TigerMcQueen I didn’t see it the way you put until now. The BM has been begging for a response from Harry about “Queen Consort Camilla”. Harry’s response? “Let me tell you about my mom, and what she did and why its still important to this day and why I plan to continue her legacy. This is my response.” Brilliant! Now I’m not saying that is Harry’s prime motivation, I know this video was probably taped well in advance of the announcement about Camilla. But man, I think the word is “serendipitous”?
@TigerMcQueen – yeah, exactly! That was a brilliant move, because he knows them so well, the suckers, and knows where it hurts!
I had to laugh imagining the BRF’s groaning faces when they read that, LOL.
*chef’s kiss*
If you don’t know anything about Gareth, look him up. The tabloids tried to ruin his life (sound familiar?) and he’s taken all that nastiness and let it fuel his advocacy. I remember when he came out. It was very powerful because he took charge of his own narrative. Good on Harry for continuing one of his mother’s greatest passions.
Awesome and truly authentic interchange from Harry. HIV isn’t on the front pages anymore, so it’s even more important that Harry continues using his platform to keep the spotlight on it. Diana would not have put the issue aside had she lived and its true to his character that Harry keeps up her work.
If only kate staff are competent.
Instead of pretending to practice with the rugby players, she can talk with them about their mental health. She can even use her jazz to show her support.
But then, when your staffs are lazy and stupid like you do. What can you expect?
The work continues. It’s probably very freeing for Harry that he can just concentrate on his work and not have to be bothered with what’s going on with the Royal Family.
Honestly, I don’t think I could love Harry more. His mother would be so proud of him, as we all are.
I totally agree!!!!
I do too!! He is his mothers son.
I am so happy for both Harry and Meghan that they are no longer in that vile family!
I remember when HIV/AIDS was THE story constantly and people were losing their minds over it and how traumatizing an already stigmatized group of people became even more so. It was absolutely brutal and horrible.
I lost a very very close friend to AIDS because at the time there was really no way to stop it because the medicine just wasn’t there yet. He died early days in and myself, his partner and only about 6 of his friends came to his funeral. His family had disowned him many years back.
I also remember Diana actually sitting with and shaking the hands of a clearly dying AIDS patient. Just blew my mind
Glad to see Harry keeping the mantle of his Mom’s legacy going
As an aside, Kate maybe the patron NOW, but that doesn’t necessarily mean rugby wants HER. Although I am sure she’s thrilled. Keeps her close to Harry in a sense.
Rugby may have been presented with either Cambridge for their patron, and given the “choice” of which bowl of shit they preferred to eat.
I was a kid when one of my mom’s cousins died of it and while we all knew what it was, they pretended that it was leukaemia. His parents didn’t disown him, but apparently he was told not to go to the hospital because most of the staff would not want to treat him. This was in 1990.
And apparently some idiot called in a bomb threat during his funeral, but we didn’t know until later and luckily it was false.
So yes I specifically recall the stigma around HIV and AIDS, and any work that helps reduces the stigma is a good thing.
Listen out for the “overshadowing” hand-wringing articles in 3..2..1
LMAO
Because its not just the Sussexes’ global media pool thats carrying this story. Its also lots of HIV organizations. Around the world.
The RF has the britshidt media on lock via the Rotarats who also filter RF stories to some other countries, but stuff from the Rotarats mostly only get played on the gossip/entertainment circuit. Whereas, the Sussexes’ projects are covered by serious news, across the globe, AS WELL AS, of course, the usual entertainment/gossip peddlers.
Its yet another reason that shidthole island remains mad at the Sussexes.
But it continues to be the failure of shidthole island that they seriously underestimated H&M and so, failed to appreciate the implications of their media strategy going forward, which they spelt out clearly on sussexroyalDOTcom and which is still there for anyone who wants to know.
Already saw some because he dared to speak while Will is on tour.
1. If the other bro was any use at all, he’d have realized it was HIV Awareness week and rescheduled his OWN day/vacay so as to not be tromped on!! His own bloody fault. HA!
2. For anyone interested, watch The Normal Heart w/Mark Ruffalo et al. It explains a lot what went on in the early ’80s.
3. African countries not getting the HIV meds…or the Corona virus vaccine ….
Harry is CONSISTENT. As said above, he doesn’t just show up, flutter his hands and expect the world to change because he said so. He consistently shows up and there’s concrete proof around his advocacy helping the less fortunate of us. Intentionally and internationally. HIV and vaccine fairness regarding cost and distribution both have decimated Africa.
4. That the RR were attempting to DESTROY this man re his HIV status and Harry standing by him so strongly speaks to yet another reason he simply refuses to deal with them. At all. Ever. Never again. He has my respect.
Harry is a man of action, a man of his word. Someone you can rely on to get the job done. He truly cares about his mother’s legacy. A true, kind hearted man.
“Stigma thrives on silence” – very well said
Not to mentin a rugby connection! This is some first class shade, lol. As far as testing, I agree it is SO stigmatized. I asked for a full panel of STD tests at my annual Gyno exam and the doctor asked me why I wanted the test. He insisted on asking me multiple leading questions, if I felt like I had had an exposure, why I needed every test on the panel etc. I just told him I felt like it was part of a wise health strategy and I was shocked that I had to justify my request on multiple levels. Then they said that they needed to run it by the insurance!! Geez. If you’re a sexually active adult, you need to test period.
I had the same experience recently with my gynecologist. I had to justify. She asked “you’re married, do you think you’ve been exposed?” I was surprised.
I love that he continues to work with people from his royal days, and that he is still continuing his advocacy for causes like this.
I love that “how can this help” is what fuels his actions. A public statement about Camilla doesn’t do any good for anybody, except maybe the tabloids.
This is so great. Harry maintains the relationships he has had in the past, regardless of his change in “working royal” status. Also makes me think that Gareth and the organizations and people that Harry loves in the UK are the reason he wants to get his security in order. There are people apart from the RF Harry will want to see and visit. He’d probably even like to introduce his family. He should have the right to do that safely. After that entire country witnessed him walking behind his mother’s coffin and the smearing of his pregnant wife for sport, to say he doesn’t need security is so offensive.
Harry doesn’t seem to commit to anything (lead, join, appear, endorse) that he isn’t personally, emotionally, fully involved in. The rest of the RF always seems to be “deigning” to show up, smile, shake hands, nod heads, walk through, say a few words and get out pdq. Very gracious, perfect manners, but totally “us” and “them”.
Harry is “us” everywhere he goes. You can’t help but see it in his face, hear it in his words and feel it on a fundamental, emotional level. He shines with compassion, while his family are flat and dull with entitlement.
The thing is, @Jane Wilson, royalty has always been about “gracing” the hoi polloi with their presence. The job of the ‘subjects’ is to be grateful that the royals have deigned to grace them with their presence. Thats why its hard for the welfare royals to carry off this “service” business that they use to make themselves appear useful in this 21st century. They dont quite understand the concept….H&M give a master class in what service really means every time theyre public-facing which is why the britshidtmedia, acting on behalf of their royal hostages, are so made at H&M.
This is the “threat to the monarchy” that H&M supposedly represent.
That hug – it reminds me of the photo of Diana hugging the children with AIDS.
I’m old enough to remember the fight Ryan White had to just to be able to go to school.
Gotta love Harry. He honors his mother instead of throwing her under the bus. Not one word about Queen Camilla. No congrats to Granny. Sticking it to Kate by talking to a friend who was part of a team when he was patron. Starving the BM coven of hater goss. All flex moves.
It was a good and informative conversation. You can tell they’re good friends. I like how Harry is highlighting this, especially since so many health screenings have been neglected during this pandemic, and HIV is still out there. I don’t get the criticism of those who want him to use this call to talk about the Jubilee or his stepmom. That would be highly off topic, not remotely relevant to the conversation, and Harry does not speak for the Royal family. Anyway, glad to see him advocating for something this important and a cause so dear to his mother.
When he said, “I just wanna help fix things,” at the end, and gave a little laugh, my heart melted.
Harry is wonderful. I love how he mentioned Diana’s work to dispel the stigma of AIDS. Props to Gareth for turning his pain and his diagnosis being “outed” by the tabloids into a platform for positive change. He should never have been put in that position, but good on him for helping others also living with HIV.
I had not heard Gareth’s story before – yet another reason why tabloids are the worst. I thought the way Harry mentioned his mother and particularly bringing it back to her advocacy work, was very well done, but you just know there’s going to be some incandescence about invoking her name. I will also note, cuz I’m petty like that, that this zoom call is much more compelling than any of the events from Harry’s family this week. They are just so much better at this without even trying, I almost feel pity for the RF. Almost.
I bet all the RF is fuming in Salty Island, because he managed to do a good deed while reminding of his mother’s work and being in contact with someone from his former patronage lmaooo.
In the first picture of Harry, I thought, “Natural leader.” And that’s just what and who he is. Compare that to his dopey brother in Dubai–monopolizing the conversation, flinging his hands about, lecturing and never listening. Harry reminds me of President Obama’s style: relaxed, caring, low-key and committed. Natural authority. When you try to fake it, you look like TOB.
Oh, and the hug at the end was just beautiful. Made me tear up. Can you IMAGINE TOB EVER doing that? If he tried, he’d look like he was assaulting someone. Empathy is something Harry inherited from his mom and something that TOB did not. Says everything about the difference between the two men.
This was probably recorded a few weeks agoo, as evidenced by the fact that his hair looks longer here than it did at the BetterUp event last week, but Harry usually does stuff publicly around HIV testing week so this really shouldn’t have caught the palace off guard. That said you know that won’t stopp RRs from whining over the next few days about how Harry continuing his mother’s work, as he has since he set up Sentabale at age 20, as offensive shade toward C&C.
Also really good convo with Harry and Gareth. It’s obvious they are both committed to and passionate about this and that Gareth is still so grateful to Harry for supporting him after his HIV diagnosis. Love that we get to see this friendship again like this.
Good man