Prince Harry comforted a bereft widow after she opened up to him about the tragic loss of her husband.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, sat down for an emotional interview with charity founder Nikki Scott as part of his role as a global ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers,
an organisation supporting youngsters who have lost parents in the military.
During their chat, Nikki told him the story of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, who died in July 2009 while serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in Afghanistan,
and how she had to break the devastating news to their five-year-old son Kai and seven-month-old daughter Brooke.
She heartbreakingly said to Harry: “As a wife, I wasn’t there to give him a hug at the end.”
Harry was full of admiration and praise for Nikki, who set up the charity to provide more support to bereaved British Forces children, and said to her:
“You’ve done an incredible job, both in your Scotty’s role but also in your mum role.” Thanking her for the change she’s made during her journey through grief, Harry added: “You’ve literally turned your pain into a purpose.”
The Prince said: “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.”
Nikki also thanked Harry for all of the support he’s given Scotty’s, to which he replied: “We’re just getting started. Let’s take it to the next level. The difference you’re making is incredible and we need to find those other kids, those other families, and give them the support they need.”
The emotional moment left Nikki feeling as though she needed to break a barrier between them. She said: “I feel like I need to give you a hug,” and Harry insisted: “Let’s do it.” At the end of the interview, he stood up from his chair, reached his arms out wide to embrace her, and squeezed her tight.
As part of his charity work, Harry joined 50 children for a session of fun activities hosted by Scotty’s last month to discuss coping with grief. He also spent time talking to nine members of Scotty’s Council, a group of young people who represent the charity’s other members, who shared their experiences of growing up without a parent.
The interview has been released in the lead-up to Armed Forces Day this weekend. Harry was just 12 years old when his mother died in 1997, at the age of 36, and he admitted to Nikki that he struggled to cope with his grief in the decades that followed.
The Prince candidly shared that he convinced himself he needed to be sad “for as long as possible” to prove to his mum that he missed her – but he later realised that Diana would not have wanted that for him. It was this breakthrough moment that helped him come to terms with his emotions and finally celebrate the life she lived.
Harry 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.”
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.”
Follow us to see more useful information, as well as to give us more motivation to update more useful information for you.
Source: Los Angeles Times
