Royal Grief: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Mourn Tragic Death Of Young Fan
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent their deepest condolences to the parents of a young fan who died during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Reaching Out
Prince Harry reached out to the family of a young fan to express their condolences. Holly Smallman was only 18 years old when she passed away. She had several chronic conditions at the time of her death.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Holly's mother Hayley Smallman revealed that she received an email from Prince Harry following the death of her daughter. The Duke of Sussex remembered meeting her and her family back in 2015 at the WellChild Awards.
One of Hayley's children, Ruby Smallman, was presented with a prize.
Hayley revealed details of the email she received from Prince Harry. She took note of the details that Prince Harry remembered from their meeting five years ago.
"When I opened the email from him it was just so personal, he literally remembered every detail of our meeting five years ago at the awards ceremony in London, and there was such a sense of genuine caring in what he'd written," Hayley shared.
The bereaved mother further told the publication how much their family appreciates the special message from the royal prince. It comforted them at this difficult time in their lives.
"For Prince Harry to find the time to send this email, to know that Holly made that impact on him and that he cares so much, even in all this private turmoil he's going through, just meant the world to us," Mrs. Smallman said.
Hayley gladly shared a copy of the email to the publication, which came with Prince Harry signing, "Meghan and I send our deepest and most heartfelt condolences."
According to the Daily Mail, the 18-year-old girl had been dealing with a number of complex health conditions since she was a young girl. Holly has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and chronic lung condition.
Holly's family said, however, that she died peacefully in her sleep. Holly's passing may not mean as much to everyone, but it has definitely touched Prince Harry.
During this difficult time, the Duke of Sussex finds it in himself to give comfort to others, particularly to Holly's family, before his own.
Keeping Up With Charity
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially stepped down as senior members of the royal family on March 31, 2020. They have since relocated to Los Angeles with their son Prince Archie.
Although he is no longer a working member of the royal family, Prince Harry has maintained a good relationship with his patronages, including WellChild.
The Duke of Sussex recently held a virtual meeting with two parents, one of which is a specially-trained nurse and head of WellChild -- a non-profit organization that provides care and support for seriously ill children and young people in the U.K.
"There's a hell of a lot of positives that are happening at the same time and being able to have family time - so much family time - that you almost think, 'Do I feel guilty for having so much family time?' " Prince Harry shared.
He added that people could look at this pandemic the other way.
"You've got to celebrate those moments where you are just on the floor rolling around in hysterics. Inevitably, half an hour later, maybe a day later, there's going to be something that you have to deal with and there's no way you can run away from it."
