Prince Harry Remembers Princess Diana in Book For Kids Coping With Grief: “You're Not Alone”

Prince Harry is remembering Princess Diana in a touching foreword for Hospital By The Hill. The Duke of Sussex recently penned a tribute to his late mother in a book written for children who have lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foreword reads as follows:

If you are reading this book, it’s because you’ve lost your parent or a loved one, and while I wish I was able to hug you right now, I hope this story is able to provide you comfort in knowing that you’re not alone.

When I was a young boy, I lost my mum. At the time, I didn’t want to believe it or accept it, and it left a huge hole inside of me. I know how you feel, and I want to assure you that over time that hole will be filled with so much love and support. We all cope with loss in a different way, but when a parent goes to heaven, I was told their spirit, their love and the memories of them do not. They are always with you and you can hold onto them forever. I find this to be true.

Now, I never met them, but I know this person was special to you, and they were someone incredibly kind, caring and loving because of where they chose to work. Helping others is one of the most important jobs anyone can ever do.

You may feel alone, you may feel sad, you may feel angry, you may feel bad. This feeling will pass. And I will make a promise to you – you will feel better and stronger once you are ready to talk about how it makes you feel.

I hope this book helps remind you of just how special your parent or loved one was. And how special you are too.

Hospital By the Hill will be released on March 23 in honour of the UK’s National Day of Reflection and will be free of charge for any young person who is dealing with the pain of bereavement. In a statement to Harper’s Bazaar, author Chris Connaughton stated that the goal of his book is to “provide a connection, support, and hope through the hard and horrible times of bereavement.” He added, “It’s also a tremendous honour – and a service to young people – to have The Duke of Sussex support this project and share his open, heartfelt and honest words with kids across the country.”

Harry was only 12 years old when Diana died in a tragic car accident in August 1997. In his recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, the duke opened up about what his mom would have thought about his royal exit, saying she would have probably been “very angry with how this has panned out and very sad.” He added, “Ultimately, all she’d ever want is for us to be happy.” Harry also revealed that he’s been living off the trust that Diana left him after the royal family cut him off financially last year. “I’ve got what my mum left me,” he said. “And without that, we would not have been able to do this . . . I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process.”