Prince Harry opens up about pain of losing his mother Princess Diana in new emotional video in which he urges young people who have lost a parent to talk about their grief otherwise it 'will eat away' at them

Prince Harry has appeared in a new video discussing grief, urging children and young people to talk about their emotions. In his role as a global ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, an organization that supports youngsters who have lost parents in the military, Harry shared his personal insights following the loss of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was just 12 years old.

Prince Harry has starred in a new video talking about grief, urging children and young people to talk about their emotions

He addressed the common belief among children that they need to remain sad to prove how much they miss their lost loved ones. Harry shared, “It’s so easy as a kid to think or convince yourself…. 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 realization of, no, they must want me to be happy.”

'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,’ he said

Prince Harry, 39, has recently spoken out about the difficulties he faced following his mother’s tragic death in 1997. He has been vocal about the lack of family support he received, which he believes led him to bottle up his emotions and eventually seek therapy. In the new video, Harry emphasizes the importance of talking about grief and emotions, especially for children.

He added: “That’s the hardest thing, especially for kids, I think, which is, ‘I don’t want to talk about it because it will make me sad, but once realizing that if I do talk about it, I’m celebrating their life, then actually, things become easier’…as opposed to this ‘I’m just not going to talk about it, and that’s the best form of coping,’ when in fact it’s not. It can be for a period of time…you can’t suppress it forever. It’s not sustainable. And it will eat away at you inside.”

Prince Harry spoke out in the lead-up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday to highlight the ongoing needs of bereaved military children in the UK

Through his role with Scotty’s Little Soldiers, Harry continues to advocate for open conversations about grief, highlighting the benefits of expressing emotions and celebrating the lives of lost loved ones.

Harry further explained, "No one wants to be in the position where they are forced to talk about the very thing they don’t want to talk about, especially when every defence mechanism in your mind, nervous system, and everything else is saying 'do not go there.'"

Ms Scott’s (pictured, right) personal tragedy inspired her to create Scotty’s Little Soldiers after seeing the positive impact a family holiday had on her son

This candid admission highlights the internal struggle many face when dealing with grief, particularly children who may feel overwhelmed by their emotions. Harry's message underscores the importance of creating a supportive environment where individuals can feel safe to express their feelings, ultimately aiding in their healing process.

The emotionally charged video was made in May, when Prince Harry last visited the UK. In the video, Harry speaks with Nikki Scott, the founder of Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Nikki recounts the harrowing moment she had to tell her five-year-old son, Kai, that his father, Cpl Lee Scott of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, had been killed in Afghanistan in 2009. At the time, she also had a seven-month-old daughter, Brooke.

This video has been released by the charity in the lead-up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday, aiming to highlight the ongoing needs of bereaved military children in the UK. Nikki Scott’s personal tragedy inspired her to create Scotty’s Little Soldiers after witnessing the positive impact a family holiday had on her son, helping him cope with his loss.

Expressing his admiration for Nikki Scott's work, Prince Harry remarked: "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."

Scotty’s Little Soldiers currently supports over 680 members and estimates that each year 2,100 children are newly bereaved of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.