Prince Harry has opened up about how he, Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, are honoring Princess Diana on her birthday and the anniversary of her death. The Duke of Sussex has revealed a meaningful family tradition that will keep his mother’s memory alive in his family’s memory.Prince Harry attended the Scottie Summer Festival at Maxstock Castle in Warwickshire on Saturday, July 11, marking his final public appearance during his trip to the UK, People reports. At the charity event, attended by about 200 children and their families during a question-and-answer session, a teenager named Sebastian asked the Duke if he would do anything special to mark the anniversary of his mother’s death on August 31 or her mother’s birthday on July 1.“Yeah, we make lemon drizzle cake,” Harry, whose father served in the military and died in June 2010, told the 16-year-old.
Prince Harry explains importance of tradition
Prince Harry stressed the importance of keeping family traditions alive as a way of honoring loved ones. “I think traditions are really, really important, especially when they’re sweet,” he explained to the teen, emphasizing how the simple act of baking together became a meaningful way to honor his mother.
Speaking at the Scottie’s Summer Festival, Prince Harry shared that family traditions, including baking together, help keep Princess Diana’s memory alive for the next generation. Image source (Instagram)
The Duke of Sussex is a global ambassador for the British charity, which supports bereaved military children and other young people. The cause is of particular significance to Harry, a former army captain whose mother died aged 36 when he was 12, after being injured in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Prince Harry’s wider thoughts on grief
Prince Harry has spoken publicly for years about coping with grief after his mother’s death. Harry was a keynote speaker at the Workplace Mental Health Summit in Melbourne in April, where he discussed the complexities of experiencing loss at a young age.“In my experience, losing a loved one at any age can be disorienting,” he said. “Grief doesn’t go away just because we ignore it. The experience of being constantly watched in a goldfish bowl as a child, yes, that brings challenges. If there’s no purpose, it can break you,” he continued, reflecting on the unique difficulties of mourning publicly.
The Duke of Sussex said meaningful traditions with Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have become an important way to honor Princess Diana while also teaching her legacy to children. Image source (Instagram)
Harry described the emotional toll such a loss can take on an individual over time. “There were many times when I felt overwhelmed. Sometimes I felt lost, betrayed or completely powerless. Sometimes, external and internal pressures persisted. Sometimes, despite everything that happened, I still had to pretend everything was okay so as not to let anyone down,” he explains.The Duke acknowledged that dealing with such a significant loss requires developing coping mechanisms over time. “I was numb to it for years, and maybe it was easier then, but I also didn’t have the tools to deal with it yet,” he said, describing how his understanding of grief evolved as an adult.
Highgrove Royal Family Reunion
Prince Harry, Meghan, 44, Archie and Lilibet held a landmark reunion with the King and Queen this week, with the Duchess of Sussex and their children meeting the royal couple in person for the first time in four years. The King, 77, and the Queen, 78, hosted the Sussex family at a private country house in Gloucestershire on the afternoon of July 10.
Family’s UK visit plans change
Harry and Meghan had originally planned to visit the UK as a family this week but changed arrangements after an unusual back-and-forth with the royal family over security arrangements. Prince Harry ended up going ahead with his planned trip alone, and reports suggested that his family may visit the late princess’s childhood home, where she is buried.
