Prince Harry angers netizens over 'out of touch' comment about mental health

Prince Harry received criticism for suggesting that having to leave your job that does not make you happy should be celebrated.

The Duke of Sussex made this comment during an interview about his work as chief impact officer with California-based mental health company BetterUp. He said that people nowadays are opening their eyes to the importance of mental health in the workplace because of the trend in the number of resignations.

"It brings us back to the thesis of BetterUp, and the work Alexi and Eddie and team have been doing for the last eight-plus years before I arrived, [and] also my personal belief and work in the mental fitness space," Prince Harry said in an interview with Fast Company.

"While on the surface it looks like these last couple of years brought all these issues to the foreground, the reality is these struggles and issues have been brewing for quite some time. We're just at the beginning of the mental health awakening," he continued adding, "This work has never been more important because people are finally paying attention, and a big component of this mission is building awareness and continuing to pioneer the conversation."

However, it was his statement on the importance of job resignations for the sake of mental health that irked netizens. He said that a lot of the job resignations he learned about "aren't all bad." He called it a "sign that with self-awareness comes the need for change."

He explained, "Many people around the world have been stuck in jobs that didn't bring them joy, and now they're putting their mental health and happiness first. This is something to be celebrated."

Netizens took to Twitter to blast the Duke of Sussex with some calling him "woke" and "out of touch with real everyday working class people." Others claimed he has no right to tell people to quit their jobs since he lives in luxury and relies on a trust fund.

"Unfortunately, for an average person, especially one who lives paycheck to paycheck, one who doesn't have a trust fund...it's extremely hard. Joy is not always the goal, getting paid and providing for the family is," one user wrote.

"So multi-millionaire Prince Harry who has never held down a proper job in his life and has never had to worry about paying bills says quitting jobs brings joy and it's actually good for 'self-awareness. Couldn't make it up, please someone, anyone, make it stop!" another commented.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle left their roles as working senior royals in March 2020. They now live in their Montecito mansion in Santa Barbara, California with their two children Archie and Lilibet.