The Duke of Sussex expressed that losing his mother 'left a huge hole inside of me.'
Prince Harry is opening up about the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
The Duke of Sussex wrote an emotional foreword for Hospital by the Hill, a book written by Chris Connaughton for children and young people whose loved ones have died from COVID-19. Reflecting on his own experience, Harry, 36, explains how as a child he "didn't want to believe" or accept that his mother had died, and how it "left a huge hole" inside of him.
"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," Harry begins. "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," he continues. "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," Harry adds. "You may feel alone, you may feel sad, you may feel angry, you may feel bad. This feeling will pass."
He concludes his passage by making a promise to the young people, writing, "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, illustrated by Fay Troote, tells the story of a young person coming to terms with the loss of their mother, who had been working on the frontline at a hospital. The book is being provided free to any child or young person in the U.K. who has been affected in this way.
Diana died in 1997, at the age of 36, following a car crash in Paris, France. Harry was only 12 years old and his brother, Prince William, was 15. Over the years the two have honored their late mother and spoken about her tragic loss.
This week, Harry took the time to honor Diana on British Mother's Day. A spokesperson for Harry told ET on Monday that he arranged for flowers to be laid at the resting place of the Princess of Wales, which is at the Spencer family's estate.
William also shared on the Kensington Palace social media accounts on Sunday the touching handmade cards that his three children, Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2, made for their "Granny Diana."
On her card, Charlotte sweetly wrote, "I am thinking of you on Mother's Day. I love you very much. Papa is missing you."
In his and wife Meghan Markle's headline-making Oprah Winfrey interview, Harry shared how his mother influenced his decision to step down as a senior member of the royal family.
"I think she would feel very angry with how this has panned out, and very sad. But, ultimately, all she'd ever want is for us to be happy," Harry told Oprah, adding that his mother would have seen his exit coming.
See more in the video below.
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