Prince Harry said he had to 'cleanse' himself of the past before having children, revealing he felt a 'disconnection' towards his son Archie while his wife Meghan was pregnant. He explained that men in early fatherhood can experience feelings of detachment, and he felt a disconnection because his wife was creating life.
Harry expressed his desire to be the 'best version' of himself for his children Archie and Lilibet, suggesting successive generations should be 'an upgrade' on their parents. He said conversations between kids and parents today never existed between him and his parents, indicating a conscious effort to improve on his father's example.
I had to cleanse myself of the past before having children.
Sharing specific anecdotes, Harry noted that his son Archie would cry when held if he was feeling stressed, suggesting Archie could 'pick up' on his energy. His therapist in the UK advised him to be aware of his feelings after the baby is born, as men can wonder what to do for hours, days, or months.
These fatherhood revelations came during Harry's attendance at a Movember event on fatherhood in Melbourne, where he was not accompanied by Meghan, who had no scheduled public appearances that day.
I felt a disconnection towards my son Archie while my wife was pregnant.
During his Australian tour, Harry met supporters at the Whitten Oval, the headquarters of the Western Bulldogs Australian rules football club. The Western Bulldogs presented him with personalised miniature shirts for Archie and Lilibet. Harry also kicked a football on Whitten Oval in Melbourne while children were rocking out to the Wiggles.
In Canberra, Harry attended Invictus Games engagements, attempting an Australian accent while praising the games at the Australian War Memorial. He said the Invictus Games has developed into a global movement involving 22 nations and around 500 competitors. Harry also attended a drinks reception for Invictus Australia supporters and cuddled a veteran's assistance dog called Gigi, was given a tour of the memorial and a handmade 'Welcome to Canberra' sign by a child, and laid a wreath and put a poppy on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier during a Last Post Ceremony, all without Meghan present.
I knew I had stuff from the past to deal with before having children.
In a speech in Melbourne, Harry said he felt 'lost, betrayed, or completely powerless' at various points in his life. After his mother Diana died, he wanted to quit his royal role, saying 'I don't want this job'. He spoke about the 'disorienting' effects of grief and the pressure to pretend everything was ok, concluding that asking for help is a form of strength, not weakness.
Meanwhile, Meghan pursued separate activities, with MasterChef Australia announcing she would be a guest judge on the cooking show, filming in Melbourne. She also joined fashion platform OneOff as a participant and investor to create edits of her looks.
I want to be the best version of myself for my children Archie and Lilibet.
Upcoming plans include Harry and Meghan traveling to Australia in mid-April for engagements, including a women-only retreat for Meghan in Sydney. This coincides with King Charles confirming a US state visit to Washington DC in April, his first as monarch. Harry's spokesperson confirmed he will not travel to visit his father during the King's US visit.
Beyond personal reflections, Prince Harry spoke at an IAPP global conference in Washington DC about online safety, launching a scathing attack on technology giants and condemning normalised exploitation in the tech sector. He participated in a keynote conversation with IAPP Research and Insights Team Director Joe Jones at the IAPP Global Summit 2026. Harry expressed that digital governance professionals can prevail in finding answers to privacy and online safety challenges posed by AI and emerging technologies, thanked attendees for their work, comparing taking on powerful institutions to 'turning an oil tanker' and urging persistence, and believes progress can be made on mitigating digital harms through collective effort, feeling 'on the cusp of something transformational'.
Conversations between kids and parents today never existed between me and my parents.
Harry's advocacy is channeled through The Parents' Network, a pilot launched in 2022 that aims to connect parents and caregivers with shared experiences around social media harms, including trauma or suicide. His lived experiences with privacy in the royal spotlight contributed to its creation. After moving to the U.S. in 2020 with Meghan Markle, Harry noted how everyday life was 'deeply affected' by the online landscape, particularly mental health. He stated that 'even one child is taking their own life because of the content that is being pushed to them through social media is fundamentally wrong'. Harry indicated that plaintiffs in recent landmark platform liability cases involving Meta and YouTube are members of The Parents' Network. He and Meghan spent time with impacted parties before and during the platform liability proceedings, and Harry expects legal wins will spur justice for thousands of plaintiffs seeking redress for platform harms.
Harry's privacy advocacy is rooted in personal experience, as he described privacy as a 'foundational issue' crucial for 'trust, safety and the stability of our societies'. He claimed to have experienced a lack of privacy 'from birth', and identified one of the biggest hurdles to addressing children's online harms as a child's modern perception of privacy and safety.
Men in early fatherhood can experience feelings of detachment, and I felt a disconnection because my wife was creating life.
This advocacy dovetails with his ongoing UK media litigation, where he has spent the past seven years in litigation against three media organisations over systemic and unlawful invasions of privacy and cover-up. Harry and others, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Elton John, are waiting to hear whether they have won their High Court cases against Associated Newspapers Limited for unlawful information-gathering. ANL strongly denies allegations of unlawful information-gathering, including voicemail interception, landline tapping, and obtaining information by deception. Previously, Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages by a judge from Mirror Group Newspapers in 2023 for unlawful information-gathering, and settled a claim against News Group Newspapers in 2025, receiving substantial damages and a 'full and unequivocal apology' for intrusion and unlawful activities by The Sun.
These legal battles have had familial consequences. In a 2024 ITV documentary, Harry described his determination to fight tabloids as a 'central piece' in destroying his relationship with his family. He wished his family had joined together with him in his campaign against the tabloids. Harry has had a troubled relationship with King Charles and an ongoing rift with Prince William, worsened post-Megxit and after his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.
My therapist in the UK advised me to be aware of my feelings after the baby is born, as men can wonder what to do for hours, days, or months.
Amid this, Harry and Meghan face financial and lifestyle scrutiny. Some have accused them of using the Australian tour to boost their bank balances and brand. Multiple reports indicate they are reportedly struggling to fund their extravagant lifestyle despite inheritances from Diana and the queen mother.
Despite these costs, Harry insisted his legal fight was 'absolutely' worth it despite the 'personal and reputational cost' to him, Meghan Markle, and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. He described the media practices he opposes as 'the worst examples of an industry that too often behaves as though it owns people's privacy – and feels it gets to decide what constitutes the public interest'.
The Invictus Games has developed into a global movement involving 22 nations and around 500 competitors.
I felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless at various points in my life.
After my mother Diana died, I wanted to quit my royal role, saying 'I don't want this job'.
Grief has disorienting effects and there was pressure to pretend everything was ok.
Asking for help is a form of strength, not weakness.
My son Archie would cry when held if I was feeling stressed, suggesting he could pick up on my energy.
I desire to surpass my father's parenting abilities, suggesting successive generations should be an upgrade.
I condemn normalised exploitation in the tech sector.
Digital governance professionals can prevail in finding answers to privacy and online safety challenges posed by AI and emerging technologies.
Taking on powerful institutions is like turning an oil tanker, and I urge persistence.
I feel on the cusp of something transformational in mitigating digital harms through collective effort.
Everyday life was deeply affected by the online landscape, particularly mental health.
Even one child is taking their own life because of the content that is being pushed to them through social media is fundamentally wrong.
Legal wins in platform liability cases will spur justice for thousands of plaintiffs seeking redress for platform harms.
One of the biggest hurdles to addressing children's online harms is a child's modern perception of privacy and safety.
Privacy is a foundational issue crucial for trust, safety and the stability of our societies.
I have experienced a lack of privacy from birth.
My determination to fight tabloids was a central piece in destroying my relationship with my family.
I wished my family had joined together with me in my campaign against the tabloids.
My legal fight was absolutely worth it despite the personal and reputational cost to me, Meghan Markle, and our children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
These are the worst examples of an industry that too often behaves as though it owns people's privacy – and feels it gets to decide what constitutes the public interest.