Prince Harry shared an insight into his thoughts on parenting while visiting Melbourne, Australia, admitting that he wants Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie to have an “upgrade” of his own experience in life. And speaking of his own parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, the Duke of Sussex said “there's no pointing the finger.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in Australia on April 14 for their first visit to the country since 2018, and on day two, Harry spoke candidly about mental health and parenting during an event with Movember.
“I see parenting evolving over time,” Prince Harry said (via the Telegraph). “Our kids are our upgrade. Not to say that I upgraded my dad or that my kids upgraded me, but the kids that we bring up in today’s world need to be upgraded.”
“There’s no judgment, there’s no blame, there’s no pointing the finger,” Harry said. “The reality is that—however you are parenting—that is a personal experience to you, you are going to want to improve on that.”
The Duke of Sussex recently reunited with his father during a September 2025 visit to London, but the two are not expected to meet when The King and Queen travel to the United States later this month.
Reflecting on his own childhood, the Duke said Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet live in a much different world. “Obviously 40 years ago, there wasn’t social media, so that’s just one example of conversations that are now happening in households between kids and parents that never existed between me and my parents.”
Speaking about his experience in therapy, Prince Harry said, “I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with.” He continued, “For me, it was a sign of strength rather than a sign of weakness.”
As for being a dad, the duke said it was his “most important transformational role” and gave advice to other new fathers. ”You’re not alone…Yes, it’s messy. You will have a rollercoaster of emotions, and don’t judge yourself.”
