At a Movember fatherhood event on April 15, Prince Harry reflected on his fatherhood transition. He clarified that he felt disconnected from his wife during a trip to Australia as a new dad.
The Duke of Sussex’s wife, Meghan Markle, gave birth to Prince Archie in London in May 2019 and Princess Lilibet followed in June 2021. The couple moved to California in 2020, after stepping back from their roles as working royals.
Prince Harry struggled in the early days of fatherhood
The event took place at the headquarters of the professional Australian rules football club Western Bulldogs. The prince had a conversation on stage with Movember global director of men’s health research, Dr. Zac Seidler. Here, Harry discussed how therapy was beneficial prior to becoming a parent. “Certainly, from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids. And I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with and therefore, prepare myself to basically cleanse myself of the past,” he said.
The advice from a UK therapist is what helped the Duke of Sussex prepare for being a dad. “I think the biggest tip that I was given from my therapist in the U.K. was just be aware of how you feel once the baby is born,” he said.
Prince Harry has advocated for mental health and discussed how therapy has been helpful. He told Zac there are “conversations that are now happening in households between kids and parents that never existed between me and my parents.”
Harry’s Movember appearance occurred on the second day of his Australia trip with Meghan. Movember is an international charity focused on improving men’s health. The organization recently launched its research titled, More Than a Provider: Australian Fathers on Health, Identity and Experiences of Parenthood.
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