Prince Harry is set to unpack his experiences with a controversial trauma expert on Saturday, during a virtual event in which attendees can submit questions for the former royal to answer.
Harry, whose memoir “Spare” topped bestseller charts, will join Canadian doctor and author Gabor Maté for an “intimate conversation,” to which royal fans can purchase tickers for $33.99, publisher Random House said in a statement about the event.
In an email to Postmedia, Maté, a bestselling author whose books have been published in over 30 languages, said their conversation would be about the impact of emotional loss and the importance of personal healing.
“In ‘Spare,’ Prince Harry is very open about his mental-health challenges, as I have been about my own in my books. Such a public conversation, I hope, will help encourage more openness around mental health and contribute to remove the stigma around what we call mental illness,” Maté said.
“I think a discussion of loss, trauma and healing is of interest to people at all levels of society.”
In addition to his expertise on trauma and childhood development, Maté is one of the world’s leading voices advocating for alternative addiction treatment.
He has promoted the use of the Amazonian plant ayahuasca to treat mental illness.
But the unorthodox treatment remains illegal in Canada, and officials threatened to arrest Maté in 2011 if he didn’t stop using the drug to treat his patients, the Daily Mail reported.
Ticket prices to Saturday’s event include a hardcover copy of Harry’s controversial memoir, and the ability to submit a question for Maté to pose to Harry during their hour-long chat.
Participants will also be able to purchase Maté’s most recent book, “The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.”
Saturday’s event will be livestreamed at noon ET. It is being presented by Random House, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones and Indigo Books & Music.
