Prince Harry Admits Feeling 'Disconnected' From Son Prince Archie After His Birth: 'You Have a Rollercoaster of Emotions'

Prince Harry opened up about how his past took a toll on his future during an event in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday, April 15.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, and his wife, Meghan Markle, are currently in the country for a few days as they undertake several engagements and appearances.

Harry got candid about how he dealt with his mental health struggles before he welcomed son Prince Archie, 6, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 4, with the former actress, 44.

“Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids,” the Invictus Games founder said during his speech at a Movember event. “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.”

Movember is an Australian-based charity that focuses on men's health and raises awareness for prostate and testicular cancers.

Harry added that just before his son's birth, his therapist told him to "just be aware of how you feel once the baby is born.”

He confessed to feeling a "disconnection" in the days after Archie was born, saying: "My wife was the one creating life, and I was there to witness it."

“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.

Harry noted he's prepared to have tough conversations with his own children that “never existed” between himself and his own parents, King Charles and the late Princess Diana.

“With the world the way that it goes, the kids that we bring up in today’s world need to be an upgrade,” he said, clarifying he isn’t “an upgrade of [his] dad or that [his] kids are an upgrade of [him].”

Things have been very strained between Charles, 77, and Harry ever since the latter moved to California with his family in 2020. That same year, the Sussexes announced they would be taking a step back as senior members of The Firm.

While the couple has rarely been back to the U.K. together since their departure, Harry did take a step toward reconciliation with his father when the army veteran met the sovereign for tea at Clarence House in September 2025.

Harry also hopes Charles will help him open the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, U.K., as an effort to squash their beef for good.