Former Rugby Star Praises Prince Harry For Being 'Constant Support' Since HIV Diagnosis

Prince Harry is continuing the work of his late mother Princess Diana in tackling HIV and the stigma around it, and former rugby player Gareth Thomas can attest to that.

Thomas opened up to People about how the Duke of Sussex has helped him "publicly and privately" since the Welsh former rugby union player went public with his HIV diagnosis in 2019. He revealed that Prince Harry supported him in his Tackle HIV campaign, including a recent video chat in support of National HIV Testing Week 2022 in the U.K.

"He's been a great supporter of me publicly and privately since I spoke about my diagnosis," Thomas told the outlet. "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 added, "But we needed other voices and other people — and from day one, Harry has been a constant support to the campaign."

The former pro athlete described Prince Harry as a "very caring, empathetic person" and said that any project he does with the duke "always goes well."

More than three decades ago, Prince William and Prince Harry's mom Princess Diana opened the U.K.'s first HIV/AIDS unit at London's Middlesex Hospital. It serves as a space that exclusively cares for patients with the virus.

"We are talking about someone whose mother went, went to the HIV unit 35 years ago," Thomas said. "This is a man who's not, who was not infected by this virus but has understood it as being part of his life for a long, 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."

Thomas added that while HIV used to be viewed as a death sentence, it is now much easier to live with. He said he manages the disease with just one tablet each day and lives a "very happy, normal, healthy life."

According to the former rugby star, Prince Harry is committed to finishing his mother's work in tackling HIV. Thomas said he believes the attitude toward the disease should change because science and medicine have also changed over the years.

In 2018, Elton John spoke about Princess Diana's kindness and compassion to people with HIV during the memorial lecture at the French Institute in London for the late royal. The singer said the late Princess of Wales changed the stigma attached to individuals with HIV/AIDS.

"One simple handshake, one gesture showed the world the desperate need for humanity for people living with AIDS," John said. "She knew the disease could not be communicated by hand. Her gesture meant nobody should be left behind. She did not distinguish between 'us' and 'them.'"