The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have some cross-country travel plans on their diary this fall.
According to People, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are heading to New York City next month to be honored for their work in mental health advocacy.
The couple will accept Project Healthy Minds’ Humanitarians of the Year Award at the nonprofit's World Mental Health Day Gala on Thursday, Oct. 9, in NYC, where they will "will receive the award for their work to make the online world a safer place for families and young people, in addition to their strides to advance mental wellbeing globally," People revealed when it broke the news of the Sussexes' upcoming trip and award in an exclusive report on Thursday, Sept. 25.
In addition to attending the World Mental Health Day Gala, Harry and Meghan are also scheduled to attend Project Healthy Minds' fourth annual World Mental Health Day Festival on Friday, Oct. 10 during the trip.
The fact that Harry and Meghan are being honored for their mental health advocacy work isn't surprising, considering the couple's long history of work in mental health space, including work through The Archewell Foundation, which they established in 2020 after their royal exit and The Parent's Network, an initiative the couple launched at the Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival in 2023 with the aim of supporting families impacted by online harm.
"Working with families and young people to prioritize safety online has been some of the most meaningful work of our lives," Harry and Meghan said in a statement at the time. "As parents ourselves, we have been moved to action by the power of their stories and are honored to support them. We’re proud to be long-time partners of Project Healthy Minds as we work together to shine a light on what remains one of the most pressing issues of our time."
Both Harry and Meghan have been open about their own struggles with mental health over the years. In a joint interview with CBS Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley in 2024, the couple discussed their initiative, The Parents' Network, and were asked about their own experiences with the intersection of trauma and social media.
"When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey, certainly part of mine, is being able to be really open about it," Meghan said. "And you know, I haven’t really scraped the surface on my experience."
"But I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way," she continued. "And I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans. And I would never want someone else to not be believed."
Meghan stressed during the interview that she felt it was important to be open about her own difficulties, especially if it might encourage others to find help quicker than she did.
"So, if me voicing what I have overcome will save someone, or encourage someone in their life to really genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good, so everything’s okay, then that’s worth it," Meghan added. "I’ll take a hit for that."