Prince Harry hopes he can help other children who, like him, mourn the loss of a parent.
The Duke of Sussex has written an emotional foreword to ‘Hospital by the Hill’, a book aimed at children facing the death of a loved one amid the coronavirus pandemic, People magazine reported on Friday.
The 36-year-old remembers how he struggled to accept the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was also 36 when she died suddenly in 1997 from injuries suffered during a car accident in Paris. Harry was 12 at the time.
“When I was a young boy, I lost my mother,” Harry wrote, as quoted by the exhaust valve. “At the time, I did not want to believe or accept it, and it left a big hole inside me. I know how you feel, and I want to assure you that that hole will be filled with so much love and support over time.”
PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE WILLIAM PAYS SEPARATE TRIBUTES TO PRINCE DIANA ON MOTHER’S DAY IN UK
Princess Diana and her son, Prince Harry, around 1995.
(Getty Images)
“We all deal with loss in a different way, but when an older person goes to heaven, I was not told their spirit, their love and the memories,” Harry said. ‘They are always with you and you can hold them forever. I find that true.
“Now, I’ve never met them, but I know this person was special to you, and they were someone who was incredibly kind, caring, and loving because of the place they chose to work,” he continued. ‘Helping others is one of the most important tasks anyone can ever do.
“You may feel alone, you may feel sad, feel angry, feel bad. This feeling will pass. And I will make you a promise – you will feel better and stronger once you are ready to talk about how it is going to make you feel. ‘
“I hope this book can remind you of how special your parent or loved one was,” Harry wrote. “And how special you are.”
PRINCE HARRY SM MOTHER PRINCESS DIANA WILL FEEL ‘VERY ANGRY’, ‘SAD’ OUT OF ROYAL FAMILY
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997) rides in a traditional sleigh on March 30, 1993 with Prince William and Prince Harry during a ski holiday in Lech, Austria.
(Photo by Jayne Fincher / Princess Diana Archive / Getty Images)
The outlet has revealed that the new book will be published next week to coincide with the British Day of Reflection. It was written by Chris Connaughton and illustrated by Fay Troote.
The book tells the story of a young person trying to make sense of losing their mother, a frontline worker at a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The issue noted that the book would be provided free of charge to all children or young people in the UK who were affected in the same way. It will also promote the services offered by three charities: Simon Says, Child Bereavement UK and Winston’s Wish.
Harry’s older brother, Prince William, serves as patron of Child Bereavement UK. It is also led by Julia Samuel, a good friend of Diana.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently live in California with their son Archie.
(Getty)
All three charities have pledged to help young children in need while coping with loss.
Last weekend, Harry arranged for flowers to be laid at Diana’s Graveyard on the Spencer Family Estate in Althorp, Northamptonshire, for Britain’s Mother’s Day.
Harry currently lives in California with his wife Meghan Markle and son Archie. The family is expecting a baby girl this summer.