Harry Opens Up About Family Traditions at Scotty's Little Soldiers Festival
Prince Harry has spoken candidly about his late mother Princess Diana and his children Archie and Lilibet during his final engagement of a five-day UK trip. The Duke of Sussex visited the Scotty's Little Soldiers summer festival at Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire on Saturday, just hours after a private family reunion with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove.
Harry, who served two operational tours in Afghanistan, has been involved with Scotty's Little Soldiers since 2017 and became its global ambassador in 2023. The charity supports bereaved military children.
Lemon Drizzle Cake: A Sweet Tradition for Diana
During a Q&A session with about 200 children and their families, a teenager asked Harry if he does anything special to commemorate the anniversary of his mother's death on August 31 or her birthday on July 1.
“Yes, we do lemon drizzle cake,” Harry said. “I think traditions are really, really important, especially when they’re sweet.”
What Makes Harry Laugh After a Difficult Day?
Nine-year-old Poppy, whose father Able Seaman Daniel Turnbull died from leukaemia in July 2020, asked Harry: “What makes you laugh when you’ve had a difficult day?”
Harry patted his heart and replied: “You know what, sometimes it’s just a difficult day. It’s not always possible to laugh but my dog makes me laugh, my children make me laugh, and if I need to laugh I’ll probably put something really funny on the television.”
He added: “But, and this goes for all of you, there are some days when you’d like to laugh but it might not always be possible to laugh. But you’ve got brothers and sisters, friends, this community… but yes, I think the point is that a laugh at the end of a hard day is the best medicine served.”
Goat Yoga and Water Bombs at the Festival
Harry also took part in “goat yoga” and was pelted with water bombs. Reassured that goats “love love,” he performed a tree pose variation, standing on one leg while making goat ears with his hands. He stared down a goat, almost touching noses, and later lay on his back as goats trampled over him. A crowd member joked that his security team failed to protect the “crown jewels” when a goat stepped on his crotch. After feeding the goats, he raced three-year-old River to an inflatable obstacle course, where he was pelted with water bombs.
Private Reunion with King Charles and Queen Camilla
Saturday marked the last day of engagements for Harry, following the official one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. After the festival, Harry, Meghan, and their children had a private reunion with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove. Buckingham Palace confirmed the meeting, describing it as a “private family occasion” and stating no images would be released. This is the first time Harry and Meghan have been in the UK together since Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, and the first time the King has seen his youngest grandchildren since the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
