In the eighteenth century, the well-to-do and prurient enjoyed visiting London’s most notorious hospital, Bedlam, to gaze at its patients. Today, we have replaced this unwholesome activity with a live-streamed therapy session between Prince Harry and the so-called ‘trauma expert’ Gabor Maté, the Canadian author of The Myth of Normal. Maté is both an acknowledged expert in the field of mental health and someone whose personal politics have led to many a raised eyebrow.
He has compared Hamas to ‘my heroes, the poorly armed fighters of the Warsaw ghetto’, and praised those well-known lifelong anti-racists Jeremy Corbyn and Roger Waters. Additionally, he’s declared that ‘I am arrogant. I like attention.’ Does this make him the perfect sounding board – or sparring partner – for the Duke of Sussex?
During the course of Harry and Maté’s conversation (tickets, £20 each), which predictably started late but, as if in recompense, lasted a punitive half-hour longer than billed, there was discussion of many of the themes from Spare.
It was noted that this was only the second time that the two men had talked, but for the most part they seemed entirely at home in one another’s company, exchanging therapy-speak and jocular badinage with practiced ease.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in