Prince Harry Reveals the Sweet Family Tradition He, Meghan Markle and Their Kids Share to Honor Princess Diana

Keeping Princess Diana‘s legacy alive is a family tradition for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two kids, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, attended Scotty’s Summer Festival at Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire, England, on Saturday, July 11, where he shared how his family honors his late mother — both on her birthday and the anniversary of her death.

During a Q&A at the event, Harry was asked by a 16-year-old whether 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 told the teen, per People, who, like Harry, experienced the loss of a parent after his father, Reverend John Hill, a member of the Royal Navy, died in 2010.

The tradition is a meaningful one for Prince Harry and his family following the passing of Diana, who died in 1997 at the age of 36 after suffering injuries in a car crash in Paris, France, when Harry was just 12 years old.

“I think traditions are really, really important,” he explained, adding, “Especially when they’re sweet.”

And though Prince Harry has taken a step back from his royal duties after relocating to California with Markle, 44, in 2020, the Duke of Sussex continues his charitable work, including with organizations like Scotty’s Little Soldiers, where he serves as a global ambassador for the British nonprofit, which supports bereaved military children and young people.

Harry’s comments come amid a family reunion with Markle, their two children and his father, King Charles. After some back-and-forth, which included security concerns over Harry’s family, People reported that the Sussexes met with Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, the monarch’s country home in Gloucestershire, England, on Friday, July 10.

While Harry had been in the U.K. ahead of the visit with his father, Markle and the pair’s two children avoided London, as well as any public appearances during their visit. They also opted to keep details of the meeting under wraps — the family’s first with Charles since 2022 — despite previous reports, sharing no videos or photos from the private gathering.