In 2022 the Duke of Sussex wrote a letter to bereaved British forces children telling them how he knew of the “pain and grief” of losing a parent and that they shared a “bond”
Prince Harry wrote a letter to orphaned kids in which he told of a shared “bond” and knew of the “pain and grief” following the death of his own mother.
The Duke of Sussex was just 12 when he found out that Princess Diana had died along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while their driver Henri Paul was fleeing paparazzi. He penned a personal letter for bereaved British forces children for Remembrance Sunday in 2022 where he discussed the sense of loss.
Harry started off quite emotionally, by writing: “We share a bond…because we share in having lost a parent. I know first hand the pain and grief that comes with loss…you are not alone.” From his home in Montecito, California, he was writing to Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which is a charity dedicated at supporting children and young people whose parents have died while serving in the Armed Forces.
He then continued: “While difficult feelings will come up today as we pay tribute to heroes like your mum or dad, I hope you can find comfort and strength in knowing that their love for you lives and shines on. Whenever you need a reminder of this, I encourage you to lean into your friends at Scotty’s Little Soldiers.
“One of the ways I’ve learnt to cope has been through community and talking about my grief and I couldn’t be more grateful and relieved that you have amazing people walking beside you throughout your journey. We all know some days are harder than others but together those days are made easier.”
In appreciation for Harry’s message, the official X account for the charity, @CorporalScotty, replied at the time: “Today on Remembrance Sunday our members have received a very special letter from Prince Harry.” And body language expert Judi James told the Express how instances of children who have lost parents “triggers” Harry.
She claimed: “This very sweet-toned letter to children who have lost parents in conflict triggers Harry’s emotional responses to the loss of his mother and he is keen to let the children know that he shares their pain because he has also suffered. This is a commonly-used technique of empathy.”
While his letter is very personal in telling the children that they “share a bond”, and addressing a lot of issues in first person, Harry uses the word “share” twice, Judi noted, questioning if there is “any sharing in grief?”.
The speech analyst also opined that Harry “evokes his own grief” to help him not only understand the grief of other children but to also help them with their own confidence. She claimed: “The Duke of Sussex clearly seems to find it easier to understand the grief of children who have lost parents on the battlefield and to reach out to them verbally by evoking his own grief at the loss of his mother.”
