Prince Harry addressed the challenges he encountered as a new parent during a public appearance on the second day of a four-day tour of Australia with his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
Speaking at the training ground of the Western Bulldogs Australian rules football club in Melbourne, the Duke discussed feeling detached from his children in the early weeks of parenthood and described therapy as a means to confront and work through unresolved issues.
At an event co-hosted by the Movember mental health charity, he said: "Certainly, I felt a disconnection because my wife was the one creating life, and I was there to witness it." He added: "From a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids. 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 Duke and Duchess have two children, Archie and Lilibet, who are not accompanying them on this trip. Their current visit includes engagements on sport, mental health and veterans' affairs, reflecting the stated focus of the itinerary.
Background to the couple's status was also referenced during discussion of the visit. The Sussexes stepped down as working members of the British royal family and relocated to the United States in 2020, citing a desire to be financially independent and to escape what they characterised as intrusive media attention.
The couple's last trip to Australia, in 2018 when they were still serving royals, included an announcement of Meghan's first pregnancy made hours after their arrival in Sydney.
Public reaction in Australia has varied. On Tuesday, Harry and Meghan were welcomed by hundreds of children and parents at a Melbourne children's hospital, where attendees said the couple's presence brought hope to young patients. At the same time, critics have questioned the purpose of the visit.
An opinion column in the Sydney Morning Herald, published ahead of the visit, described the trip in stark terms: "This is no royal visit but a continuation of tone-deaf hawking by a couple estranged from reality," illustrating a segment of media commentary that has been critical of the Sussexes' activities.
Media reports indicate the couple's travel is being financed privately, yet some Australian taxpayers may still incur policing costs linked to their events. That reporting prompted a public response in the form of a protest petition, which has attracted more than 45,000 signatures.
The itinerary for this visit differs from their previous official tour in one notable respect: the Sussexes will engage in commercial activities while in Australia. After completing joint engagements, Meghan is scheduled to remain in the country to lead a wellness retreat at a luxury beachside hotel in Sydney over the coming weekend.
Tickets for the retreat, which is advertised to include yoga, manifestation and sound healing sessions, are reported to start at A$2,699 (US$1,912) per person.
The visit thus combines public-facing charity work with revenue-generating activities, and has prompted a range of public and media responses - from expressions of gratitude at hospital visits to criticism and organized petitions opposing taxpayer-funded security expenses.