Wednesday already happened in Australia, and it was a busy solo day for Prince Harry. He started the day in Melbourne with the Western Bulldogs, an Australian-rules football team. It was an event around Movember and men’s mental health. After he did some cute photo-ops with the team, he did a Q&A session at the team’s headquarters, all about mental health, fatherhood and healing. More on that in a moment. Following those events, he traveled to Canberra to pay his respects to Australian veterans and Australian’s fallen war heroes. He visited the Australian War Memorial, and placed a poppy at the Wall of Remembrance. He laid a wreath at the Pool of Reflection and watched the special Last Pool Ceremony. He met with the all-female honour guard after the Last Post Ceremony as well.
Going back to Harry’s Movember events, his Q&A session was very powerful. I’ve long believed – and I’ve said this before – that one of Harry’s greatest roles is an inspiration and role model to other men as someone who has accessed his own vulnerability and lived in pain without drowning himself in toxicity. He doesn’t perform his masculinity, he IS masculine while being open about needing therapy and the normal mixture of emotions that come with major life changes. Some highlights from Harry’s talk:
He went to therapy before becoming a father: Harry explained that before he and his wife, Meghan Markle, welcomed their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, he attended therapy. “Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids,” he said during the discussion with Movember’s global director of men’s health research, Dr. Zac Seidler. “And I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with and therefore, prepare myself to basically cleanse myself of the past.”
Disconnection: Before Archie’s birth, Harry’s therapist told him to “just be aware of how you feel once the baby is born.” The Duke noted that he felt a “disconnection” in the early days, saying, “My wife was the one creating life, and I was there to witness it.”
Dads are not alone: The prince concluded his appearance by reminding fathers that they are “not alone” as they navigate the realities of parenthood. “To the dads and soon-to-be dads: yes, it’s messy. You’ll have a rollercoaster of emotions — and don’t judge yourself,” he said.
Movember’s “revolutionary” work: With evidence of the statistics, he hopes it will “give anyone the confidence to know however you have been feeling, however you are feeling, is replicated in the vast majority of individuals….There’s an evolution happening here, and I think the more guys that come forward and talk about it, the higher those numbers will be because those numbers are remarkable and very telling in a culture where it’s not really talked about.”
The evolution of parenting: “I see parenting evolving over time,” the Duke said. “Our kids are our upgrade. Not to say that I upgraded my dad or that my kids upgraded me, but the kids that we bring up in today’s world need to be upgraded.” The Duke, who has previously spoken about breaking a cycle of “genetic pain”, added: “There’s no judgment, there’s no blame, there’s no pointing the finger. The reality is that – however you are parenting – that is a personal experience to you, you are going to want to improve on that. Obviously 40 years ago, there wasn’t social media, so that’s just one example of conversations that are now happening in households between kids and parents that never existed between me and my parents.”
[From People & The Telegraph]
I’ve already seen certain outlets frame this as “Harry criticizes King Charles.” I mean, he already did that in Spare. What was crazy about Spare is that Harry detailed many of the ways in which Charles was a dogsh-t father, but Harry also made it clear that he adored his father and that it meant the world to him whenever Charles did listen to him and help him. What Harry says here is how most parents think, which is that they want to be different and better than their own parents. Also notice how Harry is able to have conversations about men’s mental health without it descending into some tone-deaf catastrophe. I can hear plates being smashed in England as we speak.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Duke of Sussex kicks a sherrin ball during a Western Bulldogs Australian rules football session, during a visit to Movember at the Western Bulldogs HQ at Mission Whitten Oval, in Footscray, Melbourne, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 15 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex kicks a sherrin ball during a Western Bulldogs Australian rules football session, during a visit to Movember at the Western Bulldogs HQ at Mission Whitten Oval, in Footscray, Melbourne, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 15 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex is presented with a Western Bulldogs scarf during a visit to Movember at the Western Bulldogs HQ at Mission Whitten Oval, in Footscray, Melbourne, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 15 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex views the Captain Reg Saunders wall at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell, Canberra, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Canberra, Australia When: 15 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex by the Pool of Reflection after the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell, Canberra, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Canberra, Australia When: 14 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Sussex views the Wall of Remembrance at the Australian War Memorial in Campbell, Canberra, on day two of the royal trip to Australia. Featuring: Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Canberra, Australia When: 14 Apr 2026 Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Charles criticised both his parents in his semi autobiography
And what wonderful comments by Harry you know he thought about this, doesnt want to repeat mistakes from the past & is actively trying to be the best dad he can.
And him going after the tabloids also shows Archie&Lili (when they are a bit older) how much he fought. For their grandma, for himself but also for a better future for them
Good king Harry
It’s interesting how he talked about that disconnection of Meghan being the one who created life while he felt like he was just watching. You don’t hear men talking about that too much. And Lordy, not everything is about Charles.
The disconnected comment makes a lot of sense, I’ve never truly thought about it.
No doubt MANY fathers feel this way but don’t share it. I love that he did because I get it. I will have to ask my husband if he felt the same way.
I’ve never thought about it either. That’s quite an insight.
I remember a male colleague saying that during the first few weeks, with the baby being breast-fed, he felt left out and rather left out and lonely. He was a chap in his fifties, and he said he still feels it when he reflects back.
yeah I thought that was interesting. I know that the first few weeks or even months of parenthood were very different for me than for my husband. Part of that was because he basically had no paternity leave (yay for USA?) and part was because I was recovering from surgery and breastfeeding and hormonal and in pain etc – so there was this whole experience I was having that he just wasn’t a part of. It’s interesting to think about.
Charles never learned. He is a bad father and grandfather. Harry is very kind to him despite it all
I think Harry’s therapy has allowed him to see Charles through a lens of forgiveness. Even in Spare I thought that was clear – there was a layer of sympathy or pity for Charles even when harry was discussing his father throwing him to the wolves yet again or something.
That tabloid reporter that said it drives her bonkers, when Harry and Meghan call each other, my husband, my wife, will be going nuts.
Meghan told the children that asked to make an Ostrich, that her husband is a bird lover, knows everything about birds. And Harry dropping my wife in this interview.
Very impressed with the growth of Prince Harry. Nice that he shares this growth publicly which will benefit others. His honesty is so refreshing. My understanding of what he expressed was as parents we evole creating the best experiences for our children as we learn from our past.
Harry has real medals.
And how mad will this make the left behinds? “We stripped him of all that how DARE he wear medals he earned?!”
Soldier medals are bookmarks in the pages of a life bravely lived.
Emphasizing that word: bookmarks.
Chaz and Bully can strip away every medal, and Harry will still be the book. His service to the late queen and the nation of his birth aren’t eradicated by petty mind games from the palaces, and the commons know it.
Harry has always been the smart one of the 2 brothers. He has also always been the most emotionally present and engaged one, wears his heart on his sleeve, very empathetic, tuned into self and those around him, all around the one that has a good head on those broad shoulders. It’s only that the tabloids were instructed to make his dense and thick as 2 short planks brother appear smarter and stick Harry with the “dumb, party prince” titles to make William look good. There is a reason why QEII always sent only Harry to represent the royal family internationally, its because they all already knew that Harry was the one with brains.
As an antimonarchy republic member in the middle of England this boils my p&ss. If only the remaining, paid for, members of the family could do this I would be far happier. It’s meaningful support, considered words and feeling of someone having your back. it’s respectful and considered. jee whizz I miss them so much.
I’m really starting to love just hearing him speak. He is really great at connecting but also providing some vulnerability that I think inspires others not to feel ashamed about what they have experienced or felt.
I really liked how he’s spoke about the disconnect when your children are born, and men also experiencing a roller coaster of emotions, and how most people want to build upon the foundation that they were built upon as parents. Just very normal stuff that people should talk about, that he doesn’t make controversial.
And the British media is ridiculous. They are doing the very most to make either anything Harry and Meghan says or does some sort of dig at the royals, or evidence that they’re trying to basically treat this trip as a ” see we can behave, please take us back” opportunity.
He is great at connecting and I love that he uses his platform to de-stigmatize so many issues for men.
Regarding his “upgrade” comments, I love his point. Kids grow up in a different world than their parents did. This has always been true but especially so now.
I think that Princess Diana would be so proud of Prince Harry! Therapy really has helped him to mature and seems to have given him more confidence and strength. He has become a great role model, philanthropist, and global statesman despite the emotional neglect he endured at the hands of the RF after Diana’s death.
IMO the toxic manosphere and incels have reversed a lot of the advances that society made towards civil and women’s rights, as well as attacks on mental health. Consistent mental health advocacy from such a high profile celebrity whose also British royalty will hopefully cause more men to see that mental health is just as important as physical health. Tying it into fatherhood was also great messaging. Prioritizing one’s mental health and access to mental health services has to be normalized and available for everyone. Good King Harry indeed!
I love his comments. The difference between Harry and William is that he speaks from real experiences while William doesn’t believe what he says and just repeats what his staff to tell him to say.
Harry is really on to something important – I never thought/heard of therapy before becoming a parent . I’m sitting here thinking how this would be a great idea for expecting parents. People don’t realize that they carry their baggage (all kinds) into parenting – this is how vicious cycles are repeated. A little therapy could go a long way for expecting parents.
I just love and admire and respect Harry so much.
There was a great article on BuzzFeed the other day that talked about the epidemic of male loneliness and the related mushrooming of the manosphere, and how easy it is to fall into the trap of pitying people who are actively hateful, and it picked up on one viral post from one man who just asked men plugged into the red-pill world, “when was the last time you engaged with another person, without an ulterior motive?” …and it built on that to ask, “when was the last time you spoke to a woman you weren’t trying to seduce, from whom you didn’t want anything, like validation, sex, etc.?” …when was the last time you engaged with people who were not coworkers or competition? …when was the last time you just got out to pitch in, in your community, lend a hand, do a spot of volunteering, coach a kids’ team, etc.? ….cause that’s where the emotion is, that’s genuine. When an encounter is not transactional. And the first person I thought of, was Harry. The second person I thought of, was William. Day and night. And it all made sense, suddenly.
I just wish he’d supported his wife better when she needed help before the birth of Archie. As in, got her the therapy she desperately needed (instead of being “embarrassed” to seek help)
Look, he seems good at learning from mistake and growing and evolving etc, but i do get mad when I think about this.
He did get her therapy. Meghan said the therapist called her to set up an appointment and she could hear that the woman was at the grocery store. But the real “therapy” was that Harry got her the fcuk out of that toxic situation.
These are great comments from him. I think these comments seem so much more relevant and…..well, important….than William’s comments because harry is willing to expose some of his own issues, his own background, his own vulnerabilities, in a way that William is not. William speaks in general statements and tries to act like he’s above it all and harry is specific and relates back to his own experiences.
Sometimes on social media the question will pop up about what is an example of healthy masculinity – and I always say Barack Obama, Doug Emhoff, Gabourey Sidibe’s husband, and Harry. And that guy who runs the account about lifting weights and fighting fascists, lol. And part of that healthy masculinity is examining your own flaws and trying to do better.
And for the actual parenting comments – I think those are going to make sense for many people. I am trying to do better by my kids than my parents did by me – and my parents were pretty good parents so its not about trying to overcome a bad or abusive childhood or something like that. its just about trying to do one step better, the same way my parents tried to do better than their parents. We know more about child development now, about emotional regulation, and we’re also navigating things our parents didnt – namely social media and technology. So we need to evolve beyond what our parents did. And that’s a good thing! I hope my kids do a better job than I’m doing.
It is astonishing that racism and petty jealousy transformed what could have been seen as a brilliant, strategic marriage for the sake of the Commonwealth into the strange situation that now exists with an essentially scuttled Royal ship of State and the tremendously successful and globally popular but still exiled Sussex duo?
I guess it is good this family ugliness, no doubt emblematic of many such occurrences in the general population, was made visible by Harry and strongly reinforced by other royals’ behavior rather than obscured by the usual mask of sangfroid.
It is beyond astonishing that old-fashioned racism and petty jealousy transformed what could have been seen as a brilliant, strategic move (H&M’s marriage) for the sake of the Commonwealth into the strange situation that now exists with an essentially scuttled Royal ship of State and the tremendously successful and globally popular but still exiled Sussex duo.
I guess it is good this family ugliness, no doubt emblematic of many such occurrences in the general population, was made visible by Harry and strongly reinforced by other royals’ behavior rather than obscured by the usual mask of sangfroid.
My observation from the shallow end of the pool: Holy, that man can wear a suit.
I’m in the paddling pool with you, feeling like Meg from Disney’s “Hercules”, “So did they give you a name along with all those rippling pectorals?”
OK, having slept on it, I’d rather delete this comment but I can’t. Let’s just say I admire Harry AND Meghan’s dedication and hard work to maintain their physical fitness.
I will add Bruce Springsteen to Becks1 list of healthy masculinity examples. And I appreciate that at an age when many slow down as a younger generation steps up, the Boss is willing to take on trump world and, in doing so, inspire every generation.
He’s so comfortable with himself, it’s wonderful to see. And like others have said, a great example of nontoxic masculinity that hopefully resonates more with people, especially young men. And what a great audience, to bring him in to talk to professional athletes like that. I doubt he has the time but he’s a great example of someone who should do a podcast on unpacking toxic masculinity.