Prince Harry has shared a message with the Scotty’s community ahead of Remembrance Weekend.
The Duke of Sussex has supported the military bereavement charity since 2017 and became its Global Ambassador in 2023.
His Remembrance message has become an annual tradition for the charity, but this year carries particular significance.
For the first time, Harry’s letter has been shared with the charity’s wider community of bereaved adults, following expansion of its services beyond children and young people.
Dated 6 November, the letter opens with a warm message to “Scotty’s Community”, acknowledging both those who have been part of Little Soldiers for years and those who have only recently discovered its new name.
Harry goes on to recognise that grief does not disappear with age or time, reminding those who have lost someone that they do not have to navigate it alone.
Drawing on his own experience in the British Army, the Duke wrote that knowing someone “had your back” meant everything to him during his military service.
He compares that sense of understanding to the community at Scotty’s, where people can find others who simply understand what they are going through without needing an explanation.
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“There is no timetable for that, and there should be no deadline for asking for help,” the prince wrote.
“As the nation pauses to honour and remember the service and sacrifice of our military families past and present, I want to pay tribute to your loved ones and thank them for their service.”
Harry stresses that those remembered are much more than “a uniform or a name read out loud each November”.
They were parents, children, siblings, partners, relatives and friends whose absence continues to be deeply felt.
His message also extends to those gathering in London for Scotty’s Remembrance weekend, with Harry expressing hope that coming together will bring “comfort, pride, and even joy”
Scotty’s founder Nikki Scott BEM said his letter has become something the community look forward to each year, making this year’s wider message particularly significant.
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