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Privacy NoticeEven though he was born into a life of immense privilege, there was one thing above all else that Prince Harry craved – fatherhood. “I’ve longed for kids since I was very, very young,” he said back in 2012. “I’m waiting to find the right person and someone who’s willing to take on the job.” He found that person in 2016 when he fell head over heels in love with Meghan Markle, and married her just two years later. Harry’s dream to become a father came true when the couple’s son, Archie Harrison, arrived in 2019, and was later joined by a daughter, Lilibet Diana, in 2021. Just like any dad, there will be many important life lessons Harry can hope to teach his children – as well as right any wrongs he sees in his own upbringing.
The couple are very protective of their children’s privacy
(Image: alexilubomirski/Instagram)
“Harry has always been quite sporty, and very competitive,” Jennie reflects. “I bet he gets the kids involved in all sorts of games and makes it incredibly fun, as well as teaching them skills like surfing or football. The warm weather and outdoor lifestyle in Montecito must make bringing up children a joy, so much easier to get them away from screens and TV, which Harry and Meghan clearly both feel very strongly about.” While he remains focused on his charity work and position as a global ambassador for mental health and the environment, Jennie is certain Harry is an incredibly hands-on father. “I think he is relishing his role as a parent and playing the fullest part he can in the lives of his two tots,” Jennie says. “He’s lucky enough to be able to share most of their lives so I’m sure Harry is a devoted dad and no stranger to nappy changing or school runs. I think he finds the security and anchor in his little family that was sadly missing in his own broken childhood home.”
The young royals had a difficult upbringing
(Image: Getty Images)
It is true that his and Prince William’s upbringing was not always a happy one and was punctuated by a steady stream of emotional turmoil brought about by his parents’ messy separation and their very public take-downs of one another. “It’s hard to know exactly when the damage wrought by his parents’ broken marriage began to make its mark on Harry,” Jennie muses. “He was only eight when Charles and Diana officially separated, but he had witnessed the marital difficulties long before that. “I’m sure the insecurity of his own childhood has made him all the more determined to give his kids the perfect upbringing and to have them wrapped in a bubble of love and awareness of the love between their parents.”
The Sussex family have spent very little time in the UK
(Image: Netflix)
In breaking this cycle, the family’s departure has seen Archie and Lilibet spend very little time with relatives on both sides of their family — something made even more challenging when they are connected to the most famous family in the world and still sit at sixth and seventh in line to the throne. “This is the saddest part of their exile,” Jennie says. “At the moment, the children don’t know any difference, but as they grow up Harry and Meghan will have some delicate manoeuvring to negotiate to explain the situation. It must be something that troubles Harry as a dad.”
Prince Harry is a doting dad to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
(Image: Netflix)
Despite his ongoing legal battle over security, Harry has said he wants to raise his children with a clear understanding of both sides of his heritage. Jennie adds, “Imagine Archie, aged 15, telling his friends, ‘My grandpa is/was King! And my uncle is/will be King too.’ But he hardly knew or met them. How sad… and Meghan would have to bear the brunt of the responsibility for that. “I’m sure that, like Harry, she wants the very best for their children… and that will include an understanding of their background. I just hope that by the time Archie and Lili grow up, things will be calmer and the family more united, even if they continue to live thousands of miles apart. This is not the children’s fault or responsibility so let’s hope the adults can make it a better world for the next generation of royals.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnPrince HarryHarry and MeghanMeghan MarklePrince ArchiePrincess LilibetRoyal Family
