Prince Harry reveals the ‘newfound’ way fatherhood has changed him

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Prince Harry recently became a dad, and now he’s revealed one of the ways in which fatherhood has changed.

The 34-year-old welcomed his first child back in May, less than a year after marrying Meghan Markle – so it’s fair to say a lot has changed for the prince.

And now he’s been discussing how becoming a father has transformed his life, saying it brought him ‘newfound clarity’ about being a role model.

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Today, The Duke of Sussex attended UK’s first National Youth Mentoring Summit, hosted by @DianaAward. The Diana Award, created in 1999, is a continuation of Princess Diana’s legacy and her belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better. Young people shared their experiences of being mentees and explained why it is so important to them to have businesses, organisations and leaders support mentoring. Two of these were influential young leaders Deborah and Dorcas Kabongo, who won the Diana Award in 2015 for their work on tackling key issues at the root of gang culture, focusing on the role of women and girls in gang-related violence and crime. They are having a real impact on their local community, showing those who may feel that joining a gang is their only option that there are alternatives in life. Since the creation of the Diana Award almost 20 years ago, the charity has recognised 48,000 selfless young people from across the world for their social action and humanitarian work. It has trained over 28,000 young people to stand up to bullying in their schools and communities through Anti-Bullying Ambassador training and supported over 1,000 vulnerable young people across the United Kingdom by introducing a positive role model into their lives through their Mentoring Programme. “I’m struck by a few things today, most of which is the power of the invisible role model. The person who may be sitting here today that doesn’t realise that someone looks up to them, that for that person, you inspire them to be kinder, better, greater, more successful, more impactful.” – The Duke of Sussex Thanks to organisations like The Diana Award the impact that young people can have is heard and acknowledged. For those who wish to become part of the programme and make a difference, please discover our link in bio for more information. Photo credit: Carmel King/The Diana Award

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 2, 2019 at 11:12am PDT

Speaking at the National Youth Mentoring Summit, organised by the Diana Awards charity, Harry said: ‘I’m struck by a few things today, most of which is the power of the invisible role model. The person who may be sitting here today that doesn’t realise 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 behaviour, one day maybe even following in my footsteps.

‘But it’s not just my role as a father that shows me that; it’s in the people I see every day that don’t realise how inspirational they are to those watching.’

The dad also spoke about how his mother was a role for so many people.

‘My mother, Princess Diana, was a role model to so many, without realising the impact she would have on so many lives’, he continued.

‘You don’t have to be a princess or a public figure to be a role model, in fact it’s equally valuable if you’re not because it’s more relatable. Being a role model and mentor can help heal the wounds of your own past and create a better future for someone else.’

This is not the first time Harry has opened up about how little Archie has changed his life.

A few months before the birth, at a roundtable discussion with Commonwealth young leaders , he said: ‘As someone who is about to become a father, I am acutely aware of our shared responsibility to make this world more resilient and its inhabitants more accountable for the next generation.

‘The only way to see real progress is not by chance, it’s by change.’