Prince Harry has opened up about a challenging morning with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as his children adjust to their new life in the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Sussex shared the relatable parenting moment while attending the WellChild Awards in London on Monday, revealing his children had woken up with a case of the Monday morning blues.
Prince Harry, 42, said breakfast with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, had been a little difficult before he found an unexpected way to turn their moods around.
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“At breakfast this morning, they had a bit of Monday morning blues,” he told HELLO! Magazine.
“There’s always something like Sunday night blues or boarding school… when you’ve been away, or before you go to school.”
Rather than letting the difficult morning continue, Harry decided to explain to his children exactly what he would be doing later that day.
He told Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet about the seriously ill children and their families he would meet at the WellChild Awards, prompting plenty of questions from the pair.
“I decided, ‘You know what? You’re being a little bit tricky, so I’m going to tell you exactly what I’m doing tonight,’ ” he said.
“And they were genuinely fascinated and asking all sorts of questions. So, like with all of my work and their mum’s work as well, whatever we can do to try to instil some of that awareness, I think is absolutely crucial.”
The annual WellChild Awards recognise the achievements of seriously ill children as well as the people who care for them.
Prince Harry has attended 15 of the ceremonies since becoming a patron of the organisation in 2007.
But the Duke said his perspective on the event had shifted since becoming a father himself.
“Once you become a parent, it does change everything,” Prince Harry said.
“It’s not the fact that for all the years that I wasn’t a parent that meeting the kids didn’t matter as much, but you suddenly realise how grateful you are to have kids that aren’t sick.”
Harry said meeting the families also provided perspective on the everyday challenges that come with raising children.
“And again, day in, day out, coming off the back of kids being out (of school) for 11 weeks… but you find yourself going, ‘Wow, in that room with those parents, you really can’t complain about anything,’” he continued.
“Of course, it’s all relative, but the inspiration that I get from these guys – not just the kids, but the parents themselves – it fills me up for a whole year.”
The comments come as Harry and Meghan Markle navigate a major change for their family following their move from California to the UK.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in England with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on August 26, ahead of the children beginning the new school term.
However, just two days into the term, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet changed schools following concerns about security and the practicalities of their commute.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said at the time the move had followed discussions about the family’s arrangements.
“The decision for the children to move schools was taken following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.”
A source close to the couple said getting Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet comfortable in their new surroundings remained Prince Harry and Meghan’s priority.
Getting Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet settled in “has been, and remains, their focus. Everything else will fall into place when the time is right,” the source said.
While the children continue adapting to school and their new home, Harry revealed they have already embraced at least one distinctly British tradition.
The Duke said beans on toast had failed to win them over, but another British staple had proved far more successful.
“(Beans on toast) hadn’t gone down very well,” he admitted, before revealing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet had developed a taste for Marmite on crumpets.
“Is that a British thing? Because it’s always been in my life, and now the kids are eating Marmite on crumpets, which is big for me.”
Prince Harry joked that the change was particularly satisfying after his children previously made fun of him for keeping Marmite at home.
“They do (approve), they do very much. I mean, they used to diss me for having Marmite in the house, and now they’re in the UK it’s like that’s kind of like water under the bridge, so it’s good.”
The WellChild Awards marked Harry’s third charity appearance in less than a week.
He has attended the engagements without Meghan, who has remained with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as the family settles into its new routine.
Sources previously said returning to Britain was something Harry had been “thinking about for a while”, with the Duke keen for his children “to understand the world he grew up in and where their family comes from.”
For Meghan, the move also provides Archie and Lilibet with the opportunity to experience the country their father grew up in while retaining their connection to her California upbringing.
“Meghan feels very fortunate that they’re able to give Archie and Lilibet the opportunity to experience both worlds,” a Montecito insider said.
