Royals

Prince Harry opens up about how his son’s birth makes him miss his late mother Princess Diana

While the Prince says the birth of his first child has given him a new goal in life, it’s also poignantly reminded him of his mother.
prince harry netherlandsGetty Images

While it must’ve been tough for Prince Harry to tear himself away from his adorable newborn son Archie, The Duke of Sussex travelled to the Netherlands on Thursday to launch the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games, which will be held in The Hague in 2020.

During his one-day trip to the European country, the 34-year-old opened up to former soldier Dennis van der Stroon, about how fatherhood has affected him, including the heartbreaking admission it’s made him feel the loss of his late mother Princess Diana even more.

According to People, Dennis described his conversation with Prince Harry as, “amazing and emotional”, saying: “At a certain moment, we just got connected on this level.

“We talked about how my wife, Mireille, is 20 weeks pregnant with our first child, a girl, and he told me how special it was that his son had just been born.

“Harry talked about how having a small child was his new focus and new goal and I told him how a couple of months ago, I was struggling with my mental health but my wife’s pregnancy has given me a goal,” Dennis explains, who hopes to compete for The Netherlands Invictus team.

“Above all he said he was just amazed by the miracles in the world, and how his child has made a lot of people happy.”

Prince Harry rides around the park where the Invictus Games will be held next year, with former soldier Dennis van der Stroon. (Image: Getty)

As well as both being veterans (Prince Harry served in the military for ten years), the two have both experienced losing their mothers.

“I told Harry about my mother and we talked about our shared experience of missing my mum,” Denis shared.

“He said missing a mother is like missing some kind of security, how you need that as a son and it falls away when you lose your mother.

“He said he meets a lot of people in his work who have lost a mother, father, sister, brother or relatives and when he hears their story, as he heard my story, he said he doesn’t feel so alone.”

The new dad was a bundle of love! (Image: Getty)

While visiting the Netherlands the Prince was proud to wear his new ‘Dad’ badge with pride, wearing a jacket with the words ‘Invictus Family Daddy’ embroidered on the front.

The Prince was also unsurprisingly showered in baby gifts, one included a cute onesie with the Invictus logo on it, gifted to him by Princess Margriet.

Prince Harry was clearly thrilled with the new gift! (Image: Getty)

And the gifts keep coming – following the announcement of Archie’s birth, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed the country would be donating to Little Sprouts, an organisation that prepares baby boxes for families in need, as well as planting ten native trees.

And, in a special gift today, Disney has released an absolutely adorable Winnie the Pooh themed animation, created by Disney’s senior principal artist, Kim Raymond, to celebrate the birth of Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The animation shows Winnie the Pooh making his way to Windsor Castle carrying a book with a royal crown on the cover, presenting it to Meghan and Harry, who sit next to a cot with the name ‘Archie’ engraved on the side.

WATCH: Disney create an animation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie. Story continues below…

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The tales of Winnie the Pooh are known to be well-loved by both Harry and Meghan, with the Duke reportedly having purchased a rare edition A.A. Milne book for Prince Louis, while Meghan once wrote on her now deleted blog, The Tig, that Winne the Pooh was her favourite childhood book.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been gifted a very special present from Disney. (Image: Getty)

It’s been a big week for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this week, who welcomed little Archie in the early hours of Monday morning, before they debuted him to the world and announced his name on Wednesday.

It’s thought the next time we might catch a glimpse of the little bub may be at his christening, which is thought to be in August.

WATCH: Meet Baby Sussex and heat what the gushing parents have to say.

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