27 June 2024 , 10:23
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Prince Harry felt he had to 'prove' his grief after the death of his mother Princess Diana.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has spoken about the devastating loss of his mum, when he was just 12 years old, in a new interview as part of his role as global ambassador for Armed Forces charity Scotty's Little Soldiers, which supports youngsters who have lost parents in the military.
Harry sat down with charity boss Nikki Scott to discuss coping with grief at a young age and how it impacts children growing up. He candidly shared that he convinced himself he needed to be sad "for as long as possible" to show Diana he missed her enormous amounts - but later realised she would not want that for him.
The Duke heartbreakingly shared how he convinced himself to be sad 'for as long as possible' (UK Press via Getty Images)The Duke said: "You convince yourself that the person you've lost wants you - or you need to be - sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed. But then there's this realisation of, no they must want me to be happy." It comes during the 27th anniversary year of the death of Diana, who tragically passed away in 1997 aged 36.
Harry revealed that he spent nearly two decades "not thinking" about his mother's death and eventually got help after two years of "total chaos". He joined 50 children for a session of fun activities hosted by Scotty's in May and told them that you cannot suppress grief "forever" as it will "eat away at you inside".
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When Nikki highlighted the importance of a bereaved child celebrating their parent's life, Harry explained it was hard for a youngster whose mindset was, "I don't want to talk about it because it makes me sad". He added: "But realising if I do talk about it, and I'm celebrating their life, then things become easier."
Harry is a global ambassador for Scotty's Little Soldiers, which supports youngsters who have lost parents in the military (Getty Images)Nikki was inspired to set up the charity after she had to tell her five-year-old son that his father Cpl Lee Scott had been killed in Afghanistan. Harry told Nikki: "What you've done is incredible. It is truly inspirational.
"I'm really honoured and privileged to be part of Scotty's now and I really look forward to us doing everything we can to bring in more people, more interest, raise more funds and be able to get the message out there to get more kids the support they so desperately need."
Harry also spent time talking to nine members of Scotty's Council, a group of young people who represent the charity's other members, who discussed their experiences of growing up without a parent. The interview with Harry has been released in the lead-up to Armed Forces Day this weekend.