Prince Harry's Best Dad Quotes Moments
It’s a royal birthday for Prince Harry, who turns 40 on September 15, and the Duke of Sussex has come a long way since trading royalty for family life in Montecito, California, with wife Meghan Markle and their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Harry has always been a public servant, activist, comedian, and member of the monarchy, but his most important and lasting role is dad, one he has wholly welcomed, whether he’s supporting the mother of his children through pregnancy loss and media obsession, marveling over Archie’s latest milestones, or preserving the memory of his late mother Diana, the Princess of Wales, for her grandkids.
As the Duke revealed in a December video to promote the streaming platform Waterbear, fatherhood has changed his outlook on the world. “The moment you become a father everything really does change because then you start to realize, well, what is the point in bringing a new person into this world when they get to your age and it’s on fire?” he said, referring to climate change, according to People. “We can’t steal their future. We really can’t. That’s not the job we’re here for.”
Harry also described witnessing Markle give birth to their first child as “the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine,” adding, “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension” and “I’m so incredibly proud of my wife.”
Spoken like a true father! For Prince Harry’s birthday, here are more reasons he’s a super dad. Happy birthday!
This post was originally published in September 2020.
More from SheKnows
Best of SheKnows
Gabriella & Derek Watt & All the Other Celebrity Pregnancy Announcements of 2024
These Sweet & Strong Southern Girl Names Are Like Whiskey in a Tea Cup
Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
His Respect For His Children’s Home
Prince Harry made headlines in July for an incredibly moving reason. The former senior royal brought his kids to a local Fourth of July parade, even though the holiday is, ya know, not-so-celebratory for his home country. It’s a testament to his appreciation for and acceptance of the country his children will grow up in.
His Charitable Endeavors For His Kids
The Sussexes charitable organization, the Archewell Foundation, announced in Aug. 2023 that it would be backing the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund “as part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to the future of technology and its impact on society.”
“Thank you for doing everything that you do,” Prince Harry said when talking to a grant recipient. “Our kids especially are incredibly grateful.”
“They don’t know it yet, but they will!” Meghan added with a laugh.
He Made A Special Place For Lili
In his memoir, Harry referenced a special place in his home that’s just for his daughter. And it has the cutest name: “Lili Land!”
“[The hummingbird] swooped around our kitchen, and flitted through the sacred airspace we call Lili Land, where we’ve set the baby’s playpen with all her toys and stuffed animals.”
His Continued Commitment To His Kids’ Privacy
Harry and Meghan have done their best to keep their children’s lives as private as possible, rarely sharing photos of the two.
“We’ve been really conscious of protecting our kids as best as we can and also understanding the role that they play in this really historic family,” Markle said in the couple’s Netflix docuseries.
“As a dad and as parents, I think consent is a really key piece to this,” Harry agreed. “That if you have children, it should be your consent to what you share.”
Proud Girl Dad Alert
When you see photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter Lilibet, it’s easy to see the striking resemblance between her and her father. While he keeps his life as a girl dad private, he couldn’t help but gush about her around her first birthday, saying to People, “Her current priorities are trying to keep up with her brother; she took her first step just a few days ago! Proud papa, here.” (And he even wore a super-sweet girl dad shirt!)
Archie AKA Future Lil’ Rugby Star
Did anyone else’s heart explode when Harlequins rugby gave Prince Harry a baby shirt for Archie? Because ours sure did.
Playing at Invictus Games
At the April 2022 Invictus Games, everyone’s hearts were so full when they saw how much Prince Harry was getting into the spirit of the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge alongside the children.
Making the World Better for Archie & Lilibet
While Prince Harry has been keeping his late mother’s charitable spirit alive, he actually talks about his children a lot during those times. He talks about how he wants to make the world a better place for his children and how as parents, it’s our duty. He previously said, “I will never, ever, ever rest until I, as a parent, have tried to make the world a better place for them because it is our responsibility that the world is the way it is now. I don’t think that we should be bringing children into the world unless we’re going to make that commitment to make it better for them.”
His Honesty About Life With a Newborn
During a private June event in London, the prince was transparent about welcoming Lilibet into his already-busy household. According to Hello Magazine, when singer Ed Sheeran remarked that Harry was “in the trenches” with a newborn, the royal admitted, “Two is definitely a juggle.”
To another guest, reported the outlet, Harry said of his daughter, “We’ve been lucky so far, she’s very chilled and seems happy to just sit there while Archie is running around like crazy.”
His Goofy Dad Vibes
Harry stole the show on Markle’s 40th birthday by crashing her video call with an impressive juggling act. While the Duchess shared her 40X40 initiative (which helps women re-enter the workforce amid the pandemic) with actress Melissa McCarthy, Harry was seen outside the window of their home giving a circus-like performance.
Enduring the Highs & Lows of Quarantine Parenting
“There’s a hell of a lot of positives that are happening at the same time and being able to have family time — so much family time — that you almost think, ‘Do I feel guilty for having so much family time?’” Harry said on a Zoom meeting with the charity WellChild in April 2020. “You’ve got to celebrate those moments where you are just on the floor rolling around in hysterics. Inevitably, half an hour later, maybe a day later, there’s going to be something that you have to deal with and there’s no way you can run away from it.”
His Commitment to Breaking Unhealthy Family Dynamics
In May 2021, Harry appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast and reflected on the challenges of royal childhood, vowing to break unhealthy dynamics he endured while growing up in the public eye. “I don’t think we should be pointing the finger or blaming anybody, but certainly, when it comes to parenting, if I’ve experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered, I’m going to make sure I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on,” he said.
“It’s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway, so we as parents should be doing the most we can to try and say ‘you know what, that happened to me, I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen to you,'” Harry remarked.
Showing Off Archie’s Vocabulary
“The highlight for me is sticking him on the back of the bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on bike rides is something which I never was able to do when I was young. I can see him on the back, and he’s got his arms out, chatting: ‘Palm tree?’ House?'” Harry told Oprah of their new life in California. “Whenever anyone leaves the house, he’s like, ‘Drive safe!'”
The First Dad Quote
“It was amazing, absolutely incredible, and I’m so incredibly proud of my wife,” Harry told reporters on May 6, 2019, when he officially became a dad. “As every father and parent will ever say your baby is absolutely amazing, but this little thing is absolutely to-die-for, so I’m just over the moon.”
First Dad Cliché
‘It’s great,” Harry said of being a dad, when he and Meghan introduced Archie to the world. “Parenting is amazing. It’s only been two and a half days, three days, but we’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy.”
Trying for Privacy From the Start
Knowing how his late mother suffered in the media glare, Prince Harry has always done what he can to protect his wife’s and son’s privacy, making the unprecedented decision to keep Archie’s christening ceremony intimate with a small number of guests.
Realizing That Archie Will Watch His Every Move
“I’m struck by a few things today, most of which is the power of the invisible role model,” Harry said at the Diana Award National Youth Summit in July 2019. “The person who may be sitting here today that doesn’t realize that someone looks up to them, that — for that person — you inspire them to be kinder, better, greater, more successful, more impactful. Perhaps it’s the newfound clarity I have as a father knowing that my son will always be watching what I do, mimicking my behavior, one day maybe even following in my footsteps.”
First Time Away for the Night
Harry was spotted in Rome for a charity polo match when Archie was just a few weeks old, and by those accounts, he looked just like every tired dad of a newborn. Every dad who gets to slip off to Rome, that is!
New Dad Brag
“He constantly wants to stand,” Prince Harry told onlookers of Archie, during their visit with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa in September 2019.
Feeling a New Kind of Empathy for Other Parents
“I remember squeezing Meghan’s hand so tight during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day,” Harry said in a speech at the WellChild Awards in 2019, recalling what it was like to be there in 2018, when Meghan was pregnant. “And more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time. And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heartstrings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own.”
Supporting His Wife During Her Postpartum Period
“They were very lovely. When she sat down, I said, ‘Oh, you look amazing and you’ve just had a baby,’” said a guest of the WellChild Awards which Harry and Markle attended in 2019. “[Harry] looked at her and went, ‘See, I told you!’ in a way that we would.”
Earning Parenting Praise From His Pals
“We love him and he’s an amazing person — and that’s the most important thing — but I’m proud to see him growing up as an individual and being that person that every father wants to be,” David Beckham said of Harry. “Every father wants to be loving to their children, and that’s what I see with him.”
Mingling With Other Parents
In November 2019, another parent leaked to People that Harry had taken Archie to a playgroup, where the 6-month-old gravitated to another redheaded baby. “Gingers stick together!” Harry reportedly joked.
Having Athletic Ambitions for His Son
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 08: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (wearing a Household Division regimental tie and medals including his Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order cross) attends The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Caring About the Earth That All Children Will Inherit
“Since becoming a father, I feel the pressure is even greater to ensure we can give our children the future they deserve, a future that hasn’t been taken from them, and a future full of possibility and opportunity,” Harry wrote in a letter for African Parks. “I want us all to be able to tell our children that yes, we saw this coming, and with the determination and help from an extraordinary group of committed individuals, we did what was needed to restore these essential ecosystems.”
Enjoying Children’s Literature
Prince Harry made a cameo in a celebration of Thomas the Tank Engine, which Archie will likely appreciate. Said the prince, “I certainly have fond memories of growing up with Thomas & Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures. I am very proud to have been asked to take part in this special episode. I wish Thomas & Friends a very happy anniversary.”
Setting Down New Roots in America
Stepping back from royal life has not been easy for Harry and Meghan, but it was a move they felt they had to make for their safety and happiness. Now that they’ve bought a house in Santa Barbara and inked a deal with Netflix, it looks like they’ll have a way to create many more great memories in the years to come.
