Prince Harry Delivers Special Message to Kids Who Have Lost a Parent

The holidays can be the most wonderful time of the year. But, for those who have lost a loved one, they can also be the hardest. This Christmas, Prince Harry has a special video message for kids who have lost a parent—and he dressed up as Santa Claus to deliver it.

The video message played at a Christmas party hosted by Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a British charity that works with kids who have lost parents that were serving in the British Forces. The party took place on a boar on the River Thames in London. The 1-minute message starts with a hearty “ho, ho, ho” before the Duke of Sussex addresses the children.

“I know how incredibly strong you are. Yes, losing a parent is incredibly hard, but I know that every single one of you, by helping each other out, that you will have an amazing future ahead of you and you’re going to have a fantastic Christmas as well," he said in the message. “Your parents, they will never be forgotten and you will never be forgotten.”

Along with acknowledging their loss, he encouraged the kids to have fun as best they can. “I hear there is 190 of you there this year so please cause as much chaos as humanly possible!” he stated. Though his red moustache was visible throughout the video and made clear who the man behind the beard was, the Duke ended the video by pulling down the white beard and revealing his face. “Have a fantastic Christmas, and a happy New Year,” he said while giving two thumbs up.

The Duke is no stranger to the loss of a parent, as he himself lost his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 12 years old. He talked about the loss in a recent documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which centered around the royal couple on their recent tour of South Africa.

“I think being part of this family, in this role, in this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back,” he said in the documentary. “So, in that respect, it’s the worst reminder of her life, as opposed to the best.”

Now, two decades later, the Duke is celebrating his first holiday season as a parent himself. Instead of spending it with Queen Elizabeth at Sandringham, as is the royal tradition, the family is spending Baby Archie’s first Christmas privately with Marke’s mom in Canada, TODAY Parents reports.

“As has been reported, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private family time in Canada,” a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said on Friday, “They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son.”

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