Prince Harry: Honouring His Mother, Creating His Legacy

By Sukh Singh, Associate Partner & Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International

“I hope that a lot of my mother's talents are shown in the work that I do.”

- Prince Harry

How do you respond if you lose your mother at an early age, and the whole world is watching you and your brother grow up, waiting to see what you will do with your life? Will you be like your mum? Your dad? Neither? How will your legacy compare to your mother's?

When you have power and position, do you use it for selfish gain, or to help others? (It might be easy to say we would all help others, but until we are in that position, we can never truly know...)

Leaving His Mark On The World

"We share the same uniform, the same training." - Prince Harry

While Prince Harry is very conscious of the work his mother did to make a difference to others around the world, he is making an incredible effort to develop his own life and legacy. He is doing things that are important to him. Most notably, he has set up 'The Invictus Games' to honour the men and women who have fought for their countries and suffered for it. Prince Harry has fought for his country too and stood side-by-side with those men and women. To see those people rebuild their lives and rebuild their sense of self-worth, is something that means so much to him.

There will be a time when Prince Harry is no longer here, but the impact he has made on thousands of families will go on. There will also be a time when you and I are no longer here. What will happen after we are gone? What will our legacy be? What stamp will we have left on the world? Good, humble people like Prince Harry who want to have the most meaningful life possible, know that ultimately that day will come. Subsequently, their lives become legendary, because they live with the intention to do everything they can, to improve the world around them, and conduct themselves accordingly, (despite the inevitable mistakes they make along the way). Check out this insightful interview with the Prince...

No Success Outside The Home Can Compensate For Failure In It

Above all else, it's clear from the interview that Prince Harry dearly values his family. There are, as we've reported, many people in the world who have succeeded at great levels, yet neglected or run away from their personal lives. Their relationships with their family members become too fractured, too broken, to even want to try and repair them. Yet how much integrity can we have if we are trying to make a difference to others out there, yet don't tend to those closest to us? Ultimately, how much of an impact can we have on others, if the person we are learning from is avoiding their own challenges?

Whether you have your own family, want to have one in the future or want to remain single, there will always be people close to you.

Be sure to check out this speech from Prince Harry at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Invictus Games. Watch out for the sigh of relief at the end too - you can see how much this means to him...