Prince Harry Opens Up on Therapy and Fatherhood in Melbourne
The Duke of Sussex has candidly discussed his personal mental health journey, revealing he knew he had to confront "stuff from the past" before becoming a father. Harry made these deeply personal remarks during a talk on stage at a fatherhood event hosted by the men's health charity Movember in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.
Addressing Past Demons Before Parenthood
While speaking about his experience with therapy prior to the births of his children Archie and Lilibet, Harry explained his motivation for seeking professional help. "Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids," the Duke told the audience. "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."
The event took place at Whitten Oval, the training and administrative headquarters of Australian rules football club Western Bulldogs. Upon arrival, Harry was presented with personalised miniature Western Bulldogs shirts bearing his children's names on the back.
Evolving Parental Roles and Family Dynamics
In a discussion with Movember's global director of men's health research, Dr Zac Seidler, Harry reflected on changing family dynamics. He noted there are "conversations that are now happening in households between kids and parents that never existed between me and my parents."
The Duke shared his perspective on generational progress, telling guests: "From my perspective, our kids are our upgrade. That's not how I was taught but that was my take on it – not to say I was an upgrade of my dad or that my kids are an upgrade of me. That's the approach that I take, to know that with the world the way that it goes, the kids that we bring up in today's world need to be an upgrade."
The Challenges of Early Fatherhood
Harry also spoke about the emotional complexities of becoming a father, acknowledging there can be a "disconnection" in the early days. "Certainly I felt a disconnection because my wife was the one creating life, and I was there to witness it," he confessed.
Wearing a taupe shirt and jeans, the Duke continued: "I think for many guys, you try to think about what service can I provide at this point, because my work here is done to some extent. And then when it comes back around again, I think the biggest tip that I was given, actually, from my therapist in the UK, was just be aware of how you feel once the baby is born."
He shared a poignant personal example: "Every single time I went to work and I came back – if I was stressed, the moment that I held Archie, he would start crying." Harry added emphatically: "Fatherhood is the most important and sort of transformational role that a guy can ever, can ever move into."
Balancing Work and Family Life
The Duke also touched on modern work-life balance challenges, telling the audience of Movember supporters and their children that "I'm fortunate enough to be able to work from home." Speaking in a function room at the stadium, he reflected: "During Covid, it was like, well, this working from home thing is really not great when you have like small kids running around, jumping into your meetings."
Sporting Engagement and Cultural Exchange
Following the talk, Harry took to the Aussie rules football pitch for a kickabout with Western Bulldogs players Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar and Matthew Kennedy. Despite wearing Chelsea boots rather than proper football gear, the Duke enthusiastically participated while discussing the differences between Australian rules football and rugby.
Beaming with delight, Harry ran across the pitch to play with children, complimenting one boy with "Good kick man" and noting "it's a slippery ball that." He also posed for photographs while holding a Western Bulldogs scarf and witnessed a performance by members of Australian children's music group The Wiggles, responding with a little wiggle of his own.
Movember's Mission and Legacy
The Movember movement, founded in Melbourne in 2003, is a global charity dedicated to improving men's health, with particular focus on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The campaign, which involves men growing moustaches during November to raise awareness, has raised hundreds of millions of pounds across more than 20 countries. In Australia, "Mo" is commonly used as slang for moustache.
Commemorative Visit to War Memorial
Later in the afternoon, Harry traveled to Canberra where he was welcomed by Indigenous veterans at the Australian War Memorial. The Duke attended a Last Post Ceremony at the memorial in the Australian capital. This daily ceremony, held each evening since 2013, commemorates an individual serviceperson through storytelling, reflection and the sounding of the Last Post.
Harry's visit to Australia combined personal reflection on mental health and fatherhood with cultural engagement and commemoration, highlighting his ongoing commitment to men's health advocacy through organizations like Movember while connecting with Australian communities through sport and tradition.
