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‘It is a huge responsibility’: Prince Harry and Oprah team up for new show on mental health

Click to play video: 'UK’s Prince Harry serves up healthy lunches at London youth centre'
UK’s Prince Harry serves up healthy lunches at London youth centre
WATCH: Prince Harry serves up healthy lunches at a London youth centre – Feb 19, 2019

Meghan Markle may no longer be on TV, but her husband Prince Harry is heading to the small screen.

On Wednesday, the 34-year-old royal and Oprah Winfrey announced they are teaming up to produce a docuseries on mental health. The powerful pair are “partners, co-creators and executive producers” on the series, which will launch on Apple in 2020, palace officials said.

“I truly believe that good mental health — mental fitness — is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities and a purpose-driven self,” the Duke of Sussex said on his new Instagram account.

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“It is a huge responsibility to get this right as we bring you the facts, the science and the awareness of a subject that is so relevant during these times. Our hope is that this series will be positive, enlightening and inclusive, sharing global stories of unparalleled human spirit fighting back from the darkest places and the opportunity for us to understand ourselves and those around us better.”

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The father-to-be added that he is “incredibly proud to be working alongside Oprah on this vital series.”

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Responding to the news shared on Instagram, Winfrey commented: “Delighted to be partnering with you. Hope we shed a lot of light. And change some lives!”

Prince Harry has been open about his mental health struggles in the past.

After the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997, the Duke of Sussex said he dealt with great grief and sought counselling. He previously told the Daily Telegraph that he “shut down all his emotions” for nearly 20 years and had been “very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions.”

WATCH: Duke And Duchess of Sussex attend WE Day U.K.

Click to play video: 'Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Attend WE Day UK'
Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Attend WE Day UK

Prince Harry has also worked with mental health charity Heads Together alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton. The royal has said it’s his mission to help end the stigma around mental illness.

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The partnership with Prince Harry comes after Winfrey signed a multi-year deal with Apple in 2018 to create original programs for its streaming service.

READ MORE: ‘We’re in uncharted territory’: Royal expert shares everything she knows about baby Sussex

In March, Apple invited media to an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, Calif., where the company officially announced its new streaming service, called Apple TV Plus.

The event was studded with celebrities, including Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Jason Momoa.

—With files from the Associated Press

Laura.Hensley@globalnews.ca

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