Prince Harry collaborated in a mental health documentary with Oprah Winfrey, which was up for release on Apple TV+ last fall. Reports now say that the show will not likely debut until late 2021 as production has been besieged with a series of setbacks.
According to The Sun, Harry has been working with Winfrey on this documentary for the last two years but its delays were kept under wraps as it won't "look good" in public. Plans have been vague about the show's target air date, but sources said the production would not actually start filming until spring this year.
Part of the delay is due to the COVID-19 lockdowns that have stalled or interrupted productions all across the world. However, sources also told Daily Mirror that Harry and Meghan's decision to leave the royal family and establish their new careers in the U.S. have impacted the show's production scheduled as well.
Representatives from the Sussexes, Winfrey and Apple TV+ have not yet commented about the delay.
Harry and Winfrey first announced their team up in April 2019. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also posted the collaboration on their now-defunct Instagram account, Sussex Royal, and stated that the launch would happen in 2020.
But since their royal exit, Harry and Meghan have been busy with their various speaking engagements, especially before the U.S. elections. The couple also landed contracts with Netflix to produce more documentaries and Spotify to do a podcast series.
Mental health has been one of the advocacies of the Duke of Sussex, especially after publicly admitting that he struggled to deal with his emotions after the death of his mother, Princess Diana. Harry has also been advocating for the improvement of mental health programs in the British military, where he served for 10 years.
The news comes as Harry expressed praise for a new initiative that mandates mental fitness training across the Royal Armed Forces. In a statement, the Duke of Sussex said commended the initiative to "strengthen the potential and resilience" of the British military.
According to People, Harry was a huge part of HeadFIT to support the wellbeing of servicemen. He collaborated on various mental health campaigns while still working with Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, under the Royal Foundation.
Harry left the said foundation in 2019 to start his own charity, Archewell, with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. The couple has yet to formally launch Archewell, but the website has been up and running since October 2020.
