Grief is nothing to be ashamed of, Harry tells bereaved military children
Prince Harry has written a supportive letter to young members of Scotty's Little Soldiers, a charity for bereaved military children, reassuring them that he understands their grief during the emotional period of Remembrance.
The Duke of Sussex expressed his hope that as they remember their parent on Remembrance Sunday, the children would "carry a sense of pride" for their parent and understand that they and their service would never be forgotten.
In one of the more emotive parts of the letter, Prince Harry touches on his own experience with the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
He writes: "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."
The Duke has been involved with Scotty's Little Soldiers since 2017 and was recently asked to be its first Global Ambassador.
In his new role, Prince Harry will support the charity 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 Duke's empathy shines bright as he encourages the children to lean on the support offered by Scotty's Little Soldiers, saying: "Growing up, having 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."
He ends the letter expressing his honour at being "part of this community alongside you" in his role as Global Ambassador.
Nikki Scott, the 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."
Prince Harry has supported Scotty's Little Soldiers in a variety of different ways over the years.
The charity benefited from donations marking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding in May 2018.
Prince Harry recorded a special message for Scotty’s Little Soldiers' members in December 2019, which was played at their annual Christmas party.
In the message, Prince Harry dressed up as Father Christmas and reassured the children and young people that their parents would not be forgotten and that they had a supportive community around them.
When charity founder Nikki Scott was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen's 2021 Honours List, the Duke wrote her a personal letter of congratulations.
In November 2022 the Duke wrote a special letter to members of the charity to offer his support, acknowledging how Remembrance is a proud, but emotional time.
And in December the same year, Harry recorded another video, this time dressed as Spider-Man, for the children's Heroes and Villains-themed Christmas party.
Read Prince Harry's letter in full on Scotty's Little Soldiers' website.
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