Prince Harry at 40: ‘Damaged by divorce, troubled by exile, but born to be a dad’, says royal expert

While many aspects of Harry’s relationship with his family have been laid bare for all to see, one constant source of strength for him has always been his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Frequently citing her decision to step away from the monarchy as a guiding light, Harry continues to draw inspiration from Diana when making significant life choices – including how to raise his children, Archie and Lilibet. “Her sense of fun, of mischief, of open affection and love for her boys must carry through to Harry in the way he is bringing up the children,” Jennie suggests. “She organised play days and work days for her sons… but Harry doesn’t have to worry about instilling that kind of discipline into his little ones and I think he will be delighted that they are free to choose their own way in life.”

Jennie’s perspective is mirrored by family therapist Fiona Yassin who told OK!: “We know that Harry has had a lot of trauma throughout his life and this will undoubtedly impact the way that he chooses to parent. But it’s not only the trauma that will have an impact – how he was raised will also have a huge influence. Diana was certainly a very hands-on mother and this will no doubt be mirrored in Harry’s style and something he wants to replicate.”
Both Harry and Meghan regularly share updates on their children. In a chat on Good Morning America in February, Harry said, “The kids are doing great, growing up like all kids do very, very fast. They’ve both got an incredible sense of humour and make us laugh and keep us grounded every single day, like most kids do. I’m just grateful to be a dad.” As for how Harry might plan to celebrate his big birthday, Jennie suggests, “I think Meghan will make a big fuss of her man as this is the first landmark birthday for him they have celebrated together. I imagine they’ll have a family day because that makes Harry happiest, and then a bit of a do in the evening with some of their closest celebrity friends in LA.”

September also marked a momentous occasion in the royal calendar as we commemorated the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. The late monarch witnessed Prince Harry and Meghan’s controversial exit from their royal roles and their bombshell Oprah interview, yet she still maintained a treasured bond with her grandson.