Prince Harry has shared a personal family tradition that honors the memory of his late mother, Princess Diana. During a visit to Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire on Saturday, July 11, 2026, the Duke of Sussex spoke with children and families supported by Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity for bereaved military children. When asked whether he does anything special on Princess Diana’s birthday, July 1, or the anniversary of her death on August 31, the Duke revealed that he, Meghan Markle, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet celebrate the occasions by making a lemon drizzle cake together.
“Yes, we do lemon drizzle cake,” Harry told the 16-year-old who asked the question. The teenager lost his father, Rev. John Hill, who worked in the Royal Navy and died in June 2010.
Harry explained that keeping traditions alive is important to his family. “I think traditions are really, really important,” he said, adding, “Especially when they’re sweet.” Prince Harry has often spoken about losing his mother at the age of 12 after her fatal car accident in Paris in 1997. During the event, he also reflected on grief and how difficult it can be to process such a loss. The father of two explained that, for many years, he felt overwhelmed and emotionally numb before eventually finding healthier ways to deal with those experiences.
The comments came one day after Prince Harry reunited privately with King Charles, Queen Camilla, Meghan Markle, Archie, and Lilibet at Highgrove House on July 10, 2026. The family reunion marked the first time Meghan and the children had seen the King and Queen in person in four years. Buckingham Palace confirmed the meeting took place but said it would remain a private family occasion, with no photographs or additional details being revealed to the public.
