During his short trip to London this week, the Duke of Sussex gave the BBC exclusive access to his final engagement, where he was the surprise guest at a party hosted by charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers. The charity supports bereaved children of military personnel, and Prince Harry enthusiastically joined in with the party games and talked privately to a group of children who had lost a parent. He also offered advice about coping with the death of a loved one.
This event provided a rare opportunity to see the Duke of Sussex up close since he moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children in 2020. Although relationships between Prince Harry and other members of the Royal Family remain strained, he told BBC correspondent Daniela Relph that it was “great” to be back in the UK and praised the work that Scotty’s Little Soldiers is doing.
Though many of Prince Harry’s recent visits to the UK have been more formal or sombre, such as the Queen’s funeral and his appearance at the High Court during the phone-hacking case, he spent time at this party with children who have had their childhoods affected by loss. According to Scotty’s Little Soldiers founder Nikki Scott, who started the charity after her husband was killed in Afghanistan in 2009, the prince got a lot out of the visit, and she believes he is thinking about the children he spoke to.
Overall, the Duke of Sussex’s charity work has become an important link not only to his former home, but also to connecting with the wider public and supporting causes close to his heart. These events are now considered a personal rather than royal duty, and they offer the opportunity for Prince Harry to be himself and to show his fun and informal side
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