The Duke of Sussex today opened up about the death of his mother Princess Diana following the birth of his son Archie on Monday.
Prince Harry spoke to former solider Dennis van der Stroon, about losing his mother, as he took a break from paternity leave to visit The Hague for the one year countdown to the Invictus Games.
Mr van der Stroon said: ‘He [Prince Harry] said missing a mother is like missing some kind of security, how you need that as a son and it falls away when you lose your mother.’
Prince Harry also described how his newborn son had given him a new focus and goal as he wore a jacket declaring ‘I am daddy’ on a visit to the Netherlands today.
Mr van der Stroon, who served in the Dutch army from 2006 to 2011, said: ‘Harry talked about how having a small child was his new focus and new goal and I told him how a couple of months ago, I was struggling with my mental health but my wife’s pregnancy has given me a goal.
‘Above all he said he was just amazed by the miracles in the world, and how his child has made a lot of people happy. He also told me he’s really happy that his son is so far very quiet.’
Prince Harry laughed as he was presented with a baby grow by Princess Margriet which featured the logo for his Invictus Games
The duke, who became a father just three days ago, was given a toy rattle decorated with rabbits by seven-year-old girl Daimy Gommers, who the grateful royal then hugged before chatting with her parents
The Duke of Sussex was presented with his first baby gifts today as he took a break from parenting and travelled to the Netherlands to launch next year’s Invictus Games
Prince Harry donned a special ‘I am daddy’ jacket during a bike ride around the Hague today as he returned to work following the birth of his son Archie
Prince Harry opened up about the death of his mother Diana (pictured together, right) and spoke about his new goal in life now he was a father (shown with Meghan and Archie, right)
The Duke of Sussex opened up to former soldier Dennis van der Stroon (pictured together) about the death of his mother Princess Diana after becoming a father to baby Archie on Monday
Mr van der Stroon, who hopes to compete in the Netherlands Invictus team in track and field and sitting volleyball, described his conversation with the new father as ‘amazing and emotional.’
‘At a certain moment, we just got connected on this level,’ said Dennis.
‘We talked about how my wife, Mireille, is 20 weeks pregnant with our first child, a girl, and he told me how special it was that his son has just been born.
‘But he also told me not to make too many plans and that there’s no way you can plan for when the baby arrives.’
‘I was involved in a couple of IED strikes and though nobody was wounded, the whole experience was like living with 24/7 anxiety and stress.’
‘I told Harry about my mother and we talked about our shared experience of missing a mum,’ said Dennis.
‘He said he meets a lot of people in his work who have lost a mother, father, sister, brother or relatives and when he hears their story, as he heard my story, he said he doesn’t feel so alone.’
Harry wore a jacket embroidered with the words Invictus Family Daddy, with I Am Daddy highlighted in yellow, and tried out archery and cycling at the event on Thursday, a day after he and the Duchess of Sussex showed off Archie Mountbatten-Windsor to the world at a Windsor Castle photocall.
Asked if Archie would accompany him to the games in 2020, Harry replied: ‘I’ve no idea.’
After a short speech in which he praised the determination and courage of the competitors, the duke was presented with a special Invictus Games baby grow for his son by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.
He drew laughs from the crowd by holding it against himself to model it.
Harry, who was greeted by cheering fans and children, mingled with veterans as they practiced in a gymnasium, stopping at one point to try his hand at archery
There were some shouts of congratulations from the crowds as the new father (shown with Princess Margriet, right) arrived, in what was a return to the day job for the prince who has enjoyed a hectic few days
Prince Harry seemed relaxed during the trip to the Hague, and took the time to speak to veterans hopeful of competing at next year’s Invictus Games
As well as the baby grow, Harry was presented with gifts including a new soft rattle toy, some newborn socks with I Love Daddy written on them and a stuffed toy bird.
Daimy Gommers, seven, whose father Paul, 46, competes in archery, gave the duke a giftwrapped blue and white cube baby to for his son.
Her mother Danielle, from Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, said: ‘He was nice but he was a bit ashamed because the present was for his son not for him but he had unwrapped it.
‘He looks well and he’s got lots of energy to be here and he’s always so spontaneous’
She added: ‘I think he’s a terrific father.’
Wellwishers gathered to greet the new father as he arrived at the Sportscampus in Zuiderpark, some with more gifts, including a teddy and a piggy bank in the shape of a corgi, for the new royal addition.
Harry said he was ‘delighted’ to be in the Netherlands for the occasion and praised competitors of the games, which he launched in 2014 for injured, wounded and sick servicemen and women.
‘It is your resilience, your determination and your courage which draw crowds in their thousands,’ he said.
‘Leaving them feeling more inspired, moved and proud than they ever thought possible. You have already proved – anything is possible.’
Prince Harry talks with an athlete during the official launch of the one year countdown to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands
The Duke of Sussex has a go at archery during a sports training session at Sportcampus Zuiderpark as part of his visit to the Hague
The world has been given its first ever glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s newborn son yesterday as his beaming parents finally showed off their ‘own little bundle of joy’ to millions of royal fans across the globe
Prince Harry speaks to veterans ahead of the Invictus Games in 2020. The Duke of Sussex founded the games in 2014 in which wounded veterans compete in an array of sporting events
The Duke of Sussex took a break from parenting today as he travelled to the Netherlands to launch next year’s Invictus Games, where a young girl presented him with a present (left) and he watched competitors in archery (right)
He called on the country to make the games its own and said: ‘We chose you for a reason, and it wasn’t just because I like the colour orange!’
Harry joined in with an archery session in the sports hall, managing to hit close to the centre of the target, and got on a bicycle for a tour of the park.
The duke also watched a wheelchair basketball training session and viewed some Jaguar Land Rover prototypes with mobility technology.
He posed for pictures with Invictus Games competitors before leaving at about 2.30pm to head home to his wife and son.
At the visit to the Hague Prince Harry was showered with presents meant for his infant son Archie during the, having left the baby royal and his mother Meghan at home for the first time since the birth on Monday.
The duke, who became a father just three days ago, was given a toy rattle decorated with rabbits by seven-year-old girl Daimy Gommers, who the grateful royal then hugged before chatting with her parents.
Harry and the youngster, whose father Paul, 46, lost a leg in a parachuting accident, met in Toronto two years ago at the Invictus Games where Harry and Meghan first went public about their relationship.
Daimy’s mother Danielle, from Apledoorn in the Netherlands, said it was ‘nice’ to see the royal again but joked that she was ‘a bit ashamed because the present was for his son not for him but he had unwrapped it’.
She added: ‘He looks well and he’s got lots of energy to be here and he’s always so spontaneous. He remembered meeting Daimy before, he’s always really good with children. I think he’s a terrific father.’
In a short speech, he said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled that many more injured, wounded and sick servicemen and women will have the opportunity to continue the journey to their recovery.’
Harry told competitors: ‘It’s your resilience, your determination and your courage which draws crowds in their thousands leaving them more inspired, moved and proud than they ever thought possible.’
He added: ‘Make these games your own. We chose you for a reason and it wasn’t just because I like orange.’
There were some shouts of congratulations from the crowds as the new father arrived on Thursday morning, in what was a return to the day job for the prince following a few hectic few days.
The duchess is likely to still have the company of her mother Doria Ragland at their Frogmore Cottage home while Harry is away on the short trip.
Hundreds of miles away, the duke watched a wheelchair basketball training session in a sports hall at the Sportscampus building before shaking hands and speaking to competitors.
Leading parenting expert Suzie Hayman said Harry is likely to find leaving his baby son so soon after his birth ‘agonising’, and said he would feel a ‘pang’ to be leaving his wife and child.
The Olympic-style Invictus Games are the brainchild of Harry, who served with the British military in Afghanistan – but they have also been a recurring theme in Harry and Meghan’s relationship.
It was at the 2017 event in Toronto that he made his first appearance with the American former actress, while their attendance at the 2018 Sydney edition came days after they first announced her pregnancy.
Founded by Harry in 2014, the Games are an international sporting event for wounded, injured and ill servicemen and women, both active duty and veterans.
The prince has previously spoken of how he was profoundly moved by witnessing death and life-changing injuries while on deployment in Afghanistan, coupled with the grief and sadness that went with it.
Ideal for a royal’s family? New dad Prince Harry gets an exclusive first look at forthcoming Land Rover Defender
Ray Massey for MailOnline
As an adventurous royal father with a new family, it’s perhaps fitting that Prince Harry has become the first person to enjoy a sneak-peek at Land Rover’s long-awaited next generation Defender.
And given his new requirements for a flexible family runaround that can cut it in the countryside, it could prove just the job to transport his wife Meghan and their new precious cargo, son Archie.
Prince Harry’s exclusive tour of the new Defender, which goes on sale early next year, came when he joined potential competitors at a pre-launch event in Holland ahead of Invictus Games The Hague 2020, of which he is patron.
New family car, Harry? Prince Harry had an exclusive first look at Land Rover’s forthcoming Defender during a visit to The Hague, Netherlands, ahead of the 2020 Invictus Games
Given his new requirements for a flexible family runaround that can cut it in the countryside, the next-generation Defender could prove just the job to transport Harry, wife Meghan and their new precious cargo, son Archie
The Duke was viewing the new Defender with Dutch Invictus Games medal winner Jack Pastora (right)
The new off-roader from Britain’s biggest car-maker is the successor to the legendary Defender – which can trace its life back to 1948 when the original rugged post-war back-to-basics 4X4 Land Rover was launched.
The Defender is a favourite of Harry’s grandmother, the Queen, who has been frequently photographed and filmed driving one.
The Duke of Sussex maintained this long-standing royal connection when he became the first person to publicly experience the new Defender prototype – wrapped in light Invictus Games-themed camouflage – as he began the 12-month countdown to the event.
Invictus Games competitors in the Jaguar Land Rover Challenge next May will also be among the first people to drive the new Defender after its official launch.
Prince Harry given toy rattle for baby Archie as he shares a hug with seven-year-old daughter of Invictus competitor
Prince Harry was showered with presents meant for his infant son Archie during a visit to the Hague, having left the baby royal and his mother Meghan at home for the first time since the birth on Monday.
The duke, who became a father just three days ago, was given a toy rattle decorated with rabbits by seven-year-old girl Daimy Gommers, who the grateful royal then hugged before chatting with her parents.
The duke was given a toy rattle decorated with rabbits by seven-year-old girl Daimy Gommers today (pictured)
The two were first introduced at the Invictus Games in Orlando back in 2016
Harry and the youngster, whose father Paul, 46, lost a leg in a parachuting accident, have met on two previous occasions.
The two were first introduced at the Invictus Games in Orlando back in 2016.
They were again reunited in Toronto two years ago at the Invictus Games where Harry and Meghan first went public about their relationship.
Daimy’s mother Danielle, from Apledoorn in the Netherlands, said it was ‘nice’ to see the royal again but joked that she was ‘a bit ashamed because the present was for his son not for him but he had unwrapped it’.
She added: ‘He looks well and he’s got lots of energy to be here and he’s always so spontaneous. He remembered meeting Daimy before, he’s always really good with children. I think he’s a terrific father.’
They were again reunited in Toronto two years ago at the Invictus Games where Harry and Meghan first went public about their relationship