Prince Harry said he had to 'cleanse' himself of the past before having children, according to the Duke of Sussex. He told a press conference that he felt a disconnection towards his son Archie while Meghan was pregnant, explaining that he 'knew I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with before having children.' Harry said he wanted to be the 'best version' of himself for his children Archie and Lilibet, and described being a dad as 'the most important role a man can occupy.' He noted that conversations between kids and parents now exist that never existed between him and his parents, adding that 'our kids are our upgrade.' Harry said men in early fatherhood can experience feelings of detachment, and he felt a disconnection because his wife was creating life and he was just witnessing it. He also revealed that his therapist told him to be aware of how he feels after the baby is born, and that Archie would cry when held if Harry was feeling stressed.
Prince Harry has been increasingly vocal about digital harms and legal battles against media organizations. At the IAPP Global Summit in Washington DC, he launched a scathing attack on technology giants, according to GB News. Harry said he 'had no idea there were so many people' on digital governance issues and thanked digital governance professionals, saying progress can be made on mitigating digital harms. Harry and Meghan have been tackling digital harms through The Parents' Network at Archewell Philanthropies, according to research. The Parents' Network pilot was created in 2022 to connect parents and caregivers with shared experiences around social media harms. Harry said he and Meghan started to note how everyday life was 'deeply affected' by the online landscape after moving to the U.S. in 2020. He said that even one child taking their own life because of social media content is 'fundamentally wrong.' Harry indicated that plaintiffs in recent landmark platform liability cases involving Meta and YouTube are members of The Parents' Network, and he expects legal wins for aggrieved parties will spur a flood of justice for thousands of plaintiffs. He said a child's modern perception of privacy and safety is a big hurdle to addressing online harms. Harry claimed he has experienced a lack of privacy 'from birth' and said he spent the past seven years in litigation against three media organizations in the UK over unlawful invasions of privacy. Harry and others are waiting to hear whether they have won High Court cases against Daily Mail's publisher ANL for unlawful information-gathering, according to research. ANL strongly denies the allegations of unlawful information-gathering. Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers in 2023 for unlawful information-gathering, and he settled a claim against News Group Newspapers in 2025, receiving substantial damages and an apology. Harry described his legal fight as 'absolutely' worth it despite personal and reputational cost, and described the 'worst examples of an industry that too often behaves as though it owns people's privacy.'
I had to cleanse myself of the past before having children.
Prince Harry has also been active in public appearances and speaking engagements. He spoke at the IAPP Global Summit in Washington DC, and attended the Movember event without Meghan, according to major media. In Australia, he kicked a football on Whitten Oval in Melbourne, attempted an Australian accent while praising the Invictus Games at the Australian War Memorial, and cuddled and kissed a veteran's assistance dog called Gigi, according to major media. Meghan Markle was announced as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia and joined fashion discovery platform OneOff as a participant and investor, according to major media. Harry also spoke at the InterEdge Summit which charged £525 for in-person tickets and £1,250 for platinum access, according to major media. He visited Ukraine and attended the Kyiv Security Conference, according to major media.
Reflecting on his past, Harry said he felt 'lost, betrayed, or completely powerless' at various points in his life. He said after his mother died when he was 12, he wanted to quit his royal role. Harry said 'asking for help isn't a weakness. It's very much a form of strength.' An expert said Prince Harry was 'very unprofessional' in court for slouching and having his tie undone, according to Andrew Edwards, though no other source mentions this criticism.
I felt a disconnection towards Archie while Meghan was pregnant.
Reactions to Harry and Meghan's activities have been mixed. Some observers accused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of using the trip to boost their bank balances and brand, according to cynical observers. King Charles confirmed a US state visit in April, according to Buckingham Palace, but Prince Harry will not travel to meet King Charles during his US visit, according to Prince Harry's spokesperson. Harry and Meghan issued a statement after a US court found Meta and Google liable for a woman's childhood social media addiction, according to major media.
I knew I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with before having children.
I wanted to be the best version of myself for my children Archie and Lilibet.
Being a dad is the most important role a man can occupy.
Conversations between kids and parents now exist that never existed between me and my parents.
Our kids are our upgrade.
Men in early fatherhood can experience feelings of detachment.
I felt a disconnection because my wife was creating life and I was just witnessing it.
My therapist told me to be aware of how I feel after the baby is born.
I felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless at various points in my life.
After my mother died when I was 12, I wanted to quit my royal role.
It killed my mum and I was very much against it.
Asking for help isn't a weakness. It's very much a form of strength.
Archie would cry when held if I was feeling stressed.
Successive generations of parents should represent an upgrade.
I had no idea there were so many people on digital governance issues.
Thank you for your work on digital governance; progress can be made on mitigating digital harms.
After moving to the U.S. in 2020, we started to note how everyday life was deeply affected by the online landscape.
Even one child taking their own life because of social media content is fundamentally wrong.
Legal wins for aggrieved parties will spur a flood of justice for thousands of plaintiffs.
A child's modern perception of privacy and safety is a big hurdle to addressing online harms.
I have experienced a lack of privacy from birth.
I spent the past seven years in litigation against three media organizations in the UK over unlawful invasions of privacy.
It's absolutely worth it despite personal and reputational cost.
The worst examples of an industry that too often behaves as though it owns people's privacy.