Prince Harry reveals ‘challenging but important’ conversation he’s having with ‘fascinated’ Archie and Lilibet about Invictus Games competitors
Prince Harry has revealed how he is having ‘challenging but important’ conversations with his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, about the Invictus Games competitors.
Speaking at this year’s competition held in Vancouver and Whistler, the Duke of Sussex, 40, told PEOPLE magazine how his young children are keen to learn more about the tournament he founded in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women.
He revealed: ‘They are fascinated… It’s a very interesting conversation to have with your kids – to explain why that person is missing a leg, why that person is missing an arm, why do they look the way they do. It’s challenging but important.’
Harry shared how Archie, five, in particular is ‘asking those questions’, adding: ‘As any parent knows, once you open that door and those questions are asked, or that conversation starts, more and more doors start opening.
‘And then he starts asking, “How did they get injured? What’s a mine? What’s all this?” It becomes opening Pandora’s box, to some extent, especially with kids this age, because they have no filter, and they’re just so curious and so inquisitive!’
The Duke, who shares Archie and Lilibet, three, with wife Meghan Markle, said he is ‘constantly trying’ to explain what’s happened to the competitors and the Invictus Games in an age-appropriate way.
Earlier this week, Harry proudly told crowds how his son Archie asked to see footage of ‘Grandma Diana’ walking through a minefield in Angola.
Speaking at The Invictus Games on Sunday, the Duke said his eldest child recently expressed curiosity about landmines, prompting a heartfelt conversation about the late Princess of Wales’ legacy.
Prince Harry has revealed how he is having ‘challenging but important’ conversations with his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet (pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex), about the Invictus Games competitors
During an interview at a wheelchair basketball game in Vancouver, Harry told Canadian broadcaster CTV: ‘It’s hard because kids don’t always ask the right questions. There’s no filter.
‘You either shut it down right away, which I will never do, or you engage in the conversation and try to explain things. Archie was asking about landmines so I was talking about how some of these guys [participating in the Invictus Games] were blown up.’
The father-of-two admitted he was initially unsure how to discuss the dangers of landmines with his young son but found himself recounting stories of those affected by them.
He continued: ‘I think IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices] are probably a little much at this point, but I found myself talking to him about mines when he was five years old.’
However, what began as a discussion about landmines soon turned into a poignant moment of reflection on Princess Diana.
‘Interestingly, it gave me a chance to talk about my mum, his grandma, which I didn’t even really consider,’ Harry explained.
Speaking at this year’s competition held in Vancouver and Whistler, the Duke of Sussex (pictured), 40, told PEOPLE magazine how his young children are keen to learn more about the tournament he founded in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Whistler Welcome Celebration in Canada
‘He wanted to see videos and photographs of her out there doing her thing for landmines all those years ago. It produced a very interesting conversation, different from what I thought it would be.’
Diana’s visit to Angola in 1997 as a guest of the International Red Cross became one of the most powerful humanitarian images of the time.
Donning protective gear, she famously walked through a minefield on the outskirts of Huambo, highlighting the devastating impact of landmines left behind after Angola’s brutal 20-year civil war.
Just months after her tragic death in August 1997, Diana’s work contributed to a landmark global ban on landmines.
Prince Harry, who has continued his mother’s legacy, retraced her footsteps during a visit to Angola in 2019.
Wearing body armour and a protective visor, he walked the same path in Huambo where Diana had been photographed, now a thriving community free of landmines.
Reflecting on that emotional moment, he said at the time: ‘It has been quite emotional retracing my mother’s steps… to see the transformation that has taken place, from an unsafe and desolate place into a vibrant community.’
Now, it seems Prince Harry is passing down that legacy to the next generation, ensuring that Archie understands the remarkable impact of the grandmother he never got to meet.
