Prince Harry reflects on his ‘best gift’ ahead of upcoming milestone birthday

It has been a busy year for Prince Harry.

In addition to Harry and his wife Meghan Markle’s recent trips to Nigeria and Colombia, Meghan has been hard at work promoting her lifestyle brand while Harry has been in and out of court as he takes on the British press.

But as he prepares for his upcoming 40th birthday, Harry has confessed to People magazine that his most fulfilling work is being a father to five-year-old Prince Archie and three-year-old Princess Lilibet.

Speaking via a representative, the Duke of Sussex opened up to the publication while discussing his family life and next projects which include a documentary about polo for Netflix in December.

“The best gift I’ve ever been given is, without doubt, my kids. I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad,” he told the publication.

While both he and his wife mention their children frequently in public they rarely share photos of the younger royals.

This is in stark contrast to the younger members of the Royal Family, who have their photos shared everywhere, from news outlets to social media.

A friend close to the couple recently offered some insight into why they are so secretive when it comes to their kids, revealing that it’s primarily a matter of safety.

“I think every parent wants to share their kid with the world, but they just can’t,” the friend told US Weekly.

“William’s kids, for example, have way more safety, even though they’re recognizable. And the same doesn’t apply to Meghan and Harry’s children. They know the world wants to see [them but] I would expect them to live smaller lives until that gets sorted, if it ever does.”

In addition to keeping their children away from the pressures of the public eye, the friend also disclosed that Harry and Meghan have not discussed their royal heritage with their kids but will “have those conversations in due time”.

While Harry and Meghan may be waiting for the right time to discuss their children’s royal connection, they may have to have that conversation sooner rather than later as reports indicate that Archie is growing “desperate” to visit the UK alongside his father, Harry.

In a recent interview with The Mirror, royal author Tom Quinn claimed that Archie’s growing interest in his UK heritage has become a cause for concern for Meghan.

“Archie loves the idea that his grandad lives in a castle,” Quinn explained.

“She doesn’t want Britain to become a longed-for fantasy for her son.

“But Charles is desperate to show he cares and he wants to be an indulgent grandparent, partly because he has mellowed over the years and wants to makeup for what he sees as his neglect of his own sons.

“King Charles hasn’t seen his grandson Archie since 2022 and Archie really misses him, many of Archie’s books are about kings, princesses and castles and he knows enough to know that his grandfather lives in a castle. He is apparently desperate to come to the UK with his father, but Meghan and Harry don’t want to encourage this.”