Prince Harry has been carrying out a four-day visit of Australia (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry recently gave a raw and unflinching interview about the struggles he faced in his early days as a father. The Duke of Sussex was speaking on the second day of his and Meghan’s tour of Australia about his experiences with therapy, adding that he knew he “had stuff from the past” that he “needed to deal with” before he had children.
His comments, made while speaking to the men’s mental health charity Movember, prompted a strong reaction from experts and those online. Among those who spoke out is Global Family Expert and Childcare Specialist, Jo Frost. Better known as ‘Supernanny’ after her string of successful TV shows, Ms Frost was full of praise for Harry’s unfiltered honesty.
“For Prince Harry, becoming a father for the first time would also have brought something deeper to the surface,” Ms Frost exclusively told the Daily Express. “The pattern I have recognised is that birth itself has a powerful way of doing that.”
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Prince Harry spoke passionately at the event (Image: Getty)
Jo Frost is known by her nickname, ‘Supernanny’ (Image: Getty)
Referring to Harry’s comments about how his upbringing with King Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, shaped the father he has become, Ms Frost continued: “Time and again, I see how the arrival of a child reopens our own upbringing, our experiences, our challenges and the parts we want to do differently.
“Prince Harry has spoken openly about his relationship with his father. It is entirely natural that becoming a parent would prompt reflection on that. The desire to ‘be a better parent’ is one many people carry, but it can also bring pressure, especially when shaped by personal history.”
While he made it clear that he was not judging his own father, King Charles, the Duke spoke about the evolving roles of parents, telling those in the audience: “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.”
Prince Harry spoke about his upbringing and how he is different from his parents (Image: Getty)
Ms Frost continued: “This is where awareness matters. When parents recognise that these feelings of uncertainty, reflection, and even moments of emotional distance are part of the transition, they can respond with much more intention rather than judgment.
“It’s important to say that this isn’t just a father’s experience, because I’ve guided mothers, too, who can feel overwhelmed or disconnected at times as they adjust. Parenthood is simply not a fixed emotional state; it is something we grow into. What matters most is not perfection because it doesn’t exist, but presence. That’s the real gift, to self and to child.
“Fathers do not need to stand back in those early months, they need to step in their role is vital, not just practically but emotionally. The guidance I give families is simple: show up, stay engaged, and please trust that connection is something you build over time.
“I find Prince Harry’s honesty about his feelings refreshing and invites, as well as opens up, a conversation many fathers will recognise. We need our dads talking and sharing their experiences; this must be normalised.”
Prince Harry spoke candidly at the event (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry spoke about his experiences as a father (Image: Getty)
During his talk on stage at the event in Melbourne, Harry candidly confessed that he knew he “had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with” before having children.
While discussing going to therapy before his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were born, Harry said: “Certainly 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.”
Looking back at his early days as a father when Prince Archie was born in 2019, Harry said there could be a “disconnection”, saying: “certainly I felt a disconnection because my wife was the one creating life, and I was there to witness it”.
Dressed casually in an open-necked shirt, Harry went on: “I think for many guys, you try to think about what service I can 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. 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. Fatherhood is the most important and sort of transformational role that a guy can ever, can ever move into.”