BREAKING NEW: Prince Harry reveals family tradition he uses to honour Princess Diana with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet
Prince Harry disclosed on Saturday that his family bakes lemon drizzle cake to commemorate Princess Diana on both her birthday and the anniversary of her passing.
The Duke of Sussex shared this intimate detail during a question-and-answer session at Scotty’s Summer Festival, held at Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire.
A 16-year-old attendee named Sebastian asked whether Harry does anything special to mark his mother’s death anniversary on 31 August or her birthday on July 1.
“Yes, we do lemon drizzle cake,” the 41-year-old replied.
Harry, who lives in California with his wife, Meghan, 44, and their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, explained that maintaining such rituals holds deep significance for him.
“I think traditions are really, really important,” he said. “Especially when they’re sweet.”
The festival appearance marked Harry’s final public engagement during his visit to the UK, which included a significant family milestone earlier in the week.
On 10 July, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex brought Archie and Lilibet to Highgrove House, King Charles’s private Gloucestershire residence, for an afternoon gathering with the monarch and Queen Camilla.
The meeting represented the first time Meghan and the children had seen the King, 77, and Queen, 78, in person for four years.
Palace officials confirmed no photographs or additional details would be released from what was treated as a private family occasion.
The Sussex family’s UK trip came together following extensive negotiations with palace representatives regarding security provisions, with Harry initially proceeding alone with his planned schedule.
The charity event holds particular resonance for Harry, who serves as Global Ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, an organisation dedicated to supporting children who have lost parents serving in the military.
Sebastian, the teenager who posed the question about commemorating Diana, lost his own father, Reverend John Hill, in June 2010 after his service in the Royal Navy.
Princess Diana was 36 when she died from injuries sustained in a Paris car crash in 1997, with Prince Harry being just 12 at the time of her death.
Around 200 children and their relatives attended the festival, where Harry engaged directly with young people navigating similar experiences of bereavement.
Harry has spoken candidly in recent months about the lasting impact of losing his mother at such a young age.
Addressing the InterEdge Summit at Melbourne Park in April, where he delivered a keynote speech on workplace mental health, the Duke reflected on his struggles.
“In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age,” he told attendees. “Grief does not disappear because we ignore it. Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you.”
He acknowledged feeling “overwhelmed,” “lost, betrayed or completely powerless” at various points, describing how external and internal pressures felt relentless.
“For many years I was numb to it, and perhaps that was easier then, but I also didn’t yet have the tools to deal with it,” Harry added.
