Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared powerful words of encouragement with recovering addicts during a moving visit to a rehabilitation center in Amman, Jordan. Press photos have now revealed their handwritten notes and personal exchanges, offering a closer look at a visit defined by empathy and direct engagement.
On Thursday, February 26, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined a World Health Organization delegation at the National Centre for Rehabilitation of Addicts (NCRA) in Amman. The center provides medical detox services, psychological care, and social counseling through Jordan’s Ministry of Health.
Speaking candidly to patients, the 41-year-old former senior royal addressed the stigma surrounding addiction. “I want you guys to know there’s no shame in having an addiction, it stems from something else, which is an emotional pain – you’re very, very brave to come here into hospital,” he said. As reported by People, Harry encouraged the patients to turn recovery into purpose, urging them to support others facing similar struggles. In the facility’s gym, he also chatted with a patient using a rowing machine and asked whether he planned to keep exercising after leaving. When the man responded, “Yes,” Harry replied with a smile, “New habits, good habits rather than bad [habits] – we all have bad habits.” Before departing, the couple left handwritten messages on a wall of encouragement. As seen in Getty images, the father of two wrote, “It’s OK to not be OK. Trust each other. Congratulations on your recovery. Now share your courage and experience.” Markle, 44, added, “Congratulations on your dedication to your care. Wishing you continued healing and happiness.”
The rehabilitation stop was part of a two-day tour from February 25 to 26 focused on health, mental wellness, and community resilience. Earlier that day, the lovebirds visited World Central Kitchen, a longtime partner of their Archewell foundation, and later met female leaders at the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, highlighting grassroots initiatives and women-led community programs. Their Jordan trip builds on ongoing collaboration with the World Health Organization. In recent years, they have supported global health campaigns, including vaccine equity efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working alongside WHO and Save the Children, they called on G20 leaders to honor commitments to supply vaccines to lower-income nations, where vaccination rates once stood at just 3%, according to The Guardian.
Their Jordan trip builds on ongoing collaboration with the World Health Organization. In recent years, they have supported global health campaigns, including vaccine equity efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working alongside WHO and Save the Children, they called on G20 leaders to honor commitments to supply vaccines to lower-income nations, where vaccination rates once stood at just 3%, according to The Guardian. The visit comes at a complicated moment for the wider royal family. The unprecedented arrest of former Prince Andrew has thrown the monarchy into turmoil, marking the first arrest of a British royal since 1649.
