'The same thing happened to me': Prince Harry clears room to comfort boy who lost parent

A boy grieving the loss of his dad was comforted by someone who knows exactly how he feels - none other than Prince Harry.

The 34-year-old royal and his wife Meghan Markle visited the Empire Fighting Chance charity in Bristol on Friday (local time). The organisation helps struggling young people by teaching them how to box.

Iestyn Jones is one of the boys using boxing as an outlet for his grief. His father died seven years ago, and the 12-year-old is still having a hard time coping with the loss.

To his surprise Prince Harry took him aside during the visit, even asking other people to leave the room so he could speak with Iestyn privately.

The two chatted for 10 minutes, after which Iestyn spoke to media about his unexpected conversation with the Duke of Sussex.

"It just got a bit emotional because he mentioned something," People reports the youngster as saying. "He knew some stuff about me, and the same thing happened to me."

The "thing" he was referring to was the death of a parent. Prince Harry was Iestyn's age when his mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car accident.

The 34-year-old's kindness in comforting him about his loss didn't go unappreciated by Iestyn.

"They were lovely people," he said of the Duke and Duchess. "I didn't expect them to be like that. They were amazing people."

People reports that at the end of the visit, the royal couple posed for a group photo with members of the charity - and Prince Harry made sure Iestyn was standing right beside him.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle posed for a photo with members of the Empire Fighting Chance charity.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle posed for a photo with members of the Empire Fighting Chance charity. Photo credit: Getty

In 2017 the Duke revealed he had taken up boxing himself as a way of letting out his aggression after two decades of suppressing his grief over his mother's death. 

"That really saved me because I was on the verge of punching someone, so being able to punch someone who had pads was certainly easier," he told The Telegraph.

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