‘Growing up, having lost a parent, is immensely difficult’: Prince Harry sends moving letter to bereaved children

The Duke of Sussex shared a moving message with youngsters supported by Lynn-based Scotty’s Little Soldiers last week ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Prince Harry, who has been involved with the charity since 2017, was recently asked to be its first-ever global ambassador.

And on Thursday, ahead of the Remembrance weekend, he sent words of support to the young members of Scotty’s – a charity for bereaved British Forces children and young people.

The duke, whose mother Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in 1997 when he was 12, told them that grief was nothing to be ashamed of, but that they also deserved to be happy.

He said: “Growing up, having a lost a parent, is immensely difficult. But being part of such a strong and resilient community like Scotty’s can really help.

“Spending time with people who understand what you may be feeling and who can rally around you in moments of need is something to cherish.

“Scotty’s will be there for you year-round, and I encourage you to take full advantage of all this community has to offer.”

Harry acknowledged that the events around Remembrance Sunday could be a “particularly difficult time” for the youngsters and their families.

“This is an incredibly important and emotional time of year, when so many come together to pay their respects to your military parents and our military family, for their service and their sacrifice,” he said.

He added: “Grief is nothing to be ashamed of; it’s normal to feel sadness from loss. But don’t forget that you also deserve to feel happiness – your parent would want that, trust me.

“On this Remembrance Sunday, I hope you carry a sense of pride for your mum or dad, as they do for you, with the understanding that they will never be forgotten.”

Harry signed off the letter by adding: “It’s an honour for me to be a part of this community alongside you.”

The duke has supported Scotty’s on a number of occasions in the past, including by selecting them as one of the charities to benefit from donations to mark his and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s, wedding in 2018.

And last year, he dressed up as Spider-Man for a special Christmas video message for youngsters supported by the charity, having previously done the same as Father Christmas in 2019.

Nikki Scott, founder of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, said: “We are really excited Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex is joining Scotty’s as a global ambassador.

“He’s supported Scotty’s for a number of years and having been bereaved as a child himself and having served in the British Armed Forces, including deploying to Afghanistan, Prince Harry resonates with our members.

“They know he truly understands them and the challenges they face as bereaved military children.

“The duke is also able to use his profile to help raise awareness of the charity, meaning that we can reach and support more children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.”

Harry met Scotty’s founder Nikki Scott and some of the charity’s members at Party at the Palace in 2017.

This was an event held at Buckingham Palace by Harry and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they were known at the time, specifically for bereaved British Forces children and young people.

In his new role, the duke will support Scotty’s Little Soldiers to “give a voice to bereaved military children, reach more families in need, and discover potential opportunities for collaboration and growth in the military and veteran community globally”, the charity said.

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