Prince Harry Applauded For His Constant Support to HIV-Stricken Gareth Thomas
Prince Harry makes sure people with HIV do not feel alone, and rugby star Gareth Thomas also felt the royal prince's constant support in the past years.
Thomas, who first admitted that he was gay in 2009, recently spoke candidly about the Duke of Sussex's support, especially in his Tackle HIV campaign.
In a new video chat as part of the National HIV Testing Week 2022 in the UK, Thomas revealed Prince Harry's efforts to break HIV stigma. He also shared the same news to PEOPLE, calling the Duke of Sussex a "great supporter."
"And you know, I realized when I spoke about my diagnosis, I started this conversation. But I needed to keep the conversation going. So that's why I started a campaign, Tackle HIV, with ViiV healthcare and The Terrence Higgins Trust," he said.
Past generations started the battle with HIV but this one could finish it
— Tackle HIV (@TackleHIV) February 10, 2022
In an exclusive chat, Gareth Thomas sits down with Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex to talk about how far we have come, how far we have to go & the importance of testing
Watch now: https://t.co/aaBIu37YwG pic.twitter.com/PMwxaGbFJh
According to Thomas, Prince Harry has been a constant support to the campaign since day one. He also called him a very caring and empathetic person whose works always go well.
On Remembering Princess Diana's Legacy
Elsewhere in the interview, Thomas also took his time to recall how Princess Diana opened the first HIV/AIDS unit in the UK at London's Middlesex Hospital.
Per Thomas, Prince Harry does not have HIV, but he has understood it as part of his and his mother's lives for a long time.
"So to have somebody who understands this and wants to be part of the change and wants to eradicate the negativity that people come at it with gave me a real sense that I can get through it," he went on.
With the help he has been receiving, Thomas said he manages the disease by taking one tablet every day.
Prince Harry even underwent public HIV tests alongside Rihanna during their visit to Barbados in 2016. Both the royal prince and Thomas previously teamed up to raise awareness and break HIV stigma, starting with their meeting with the world's first gay-inclusive rugby club, King's Cross Steelers.
The Royal Family, spearheaded by Prince Harry and the late Princess Diana of Wales, have devoted the long-living monarchy's mission to beat HIV and AIDS. After Princess of Wales' death in 1997, Prince Harry felt that this kind of social work gave him a "sense of purpose" as part of the Royal Family.
