Prince Harry Says Everything Changed After He Became Father To Archie

Dec 04, 2020 by apost team

This week, Prince Harry spoke to film-producer Ellen Windemuth in an interview to mark the launch of her new climate-focused free online streaming service, WaterBear. Their conversation delved into Prince Harry's deep connection to nature, which has only intensified since he became a father last year. 

The Duke admitted that the birth of his son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, last year, made him realize the urgency of fighting climate change and leaving behind a better planet for the next generation. 

"The moment you become a father everything really does change because then you start to realize, well, what is the point in bringing a new person into this world when they get to your age and it's on fire?" Prince Harry said in the clip. "We can't steal their future. We really can't. That's not the job we're here for."

Windemuth, who is WaterBear's CEO, quizzed Prince Harry on his relationship with nature, even touching on how he refers to nature as "she."

"I've always been close to nature," he said. "Being in nature is the most healing part of life."

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A vocal environmentalist himself, the Prince spoke candidly of his connection with the African continent, which eventually led him to become the president of a conservation NGO, African Parks. 

"I travel all over the world and anyone that's visited Africa says the same thing. I don't know what it is, but there is something in the air, that ends up running in your blood, and no matter what experience you have, it just pulls you back and makes you want to be back there again."

Prince Harry shared his experience visiting Africa for the first time as a young teen, shortly after losing his mother, Princess Diana. In his words, the continent offered him a sense of "escape" and "space" he still hasn't found anywhere else in the world. "The smiles and the enjoyment and the energy of life that these communities have, it's so different from the way that everybody over here lives."

Prince Harry's interview with WaterBear came less than a week after his wife, Meghan Markle, revealed the couple had lost their second child after she suffered a miscarriage in July. Markle opened up about her experience in a piece she wrote for the New York Times, titled The Losses We Share. Her essay featured a raw account of her harrowing experience and her dissatisfaction that, although many women go through the same experience, the conversation around it remains taboo. 

"Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few," Markle wrote. 

"Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband's hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal," she shared.

Speaking to Windemuth, Prince Harry highlighted our responsibility to take action to conserve and protect this planet by taking any possible action we can. 

"For me, it's about putting the do's behind the say's, and that is something that WaterBear is going to be doing: capitalizing on a community of doers," the Duke of Sussex said. "There's a lot of people that say, but this is about action."

Just as his father, Prince Charles, and his brother, Prince William, Prince Harry has taken a great passion for working in nature conservation efforts and environmentally friendly projects. Last year, he launched Travelyst, a global initiative that partners with travel agencies and websites worldwide to promote sustainable travel. He has also worked with numerous conservation projects, including the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy initiative, a forest conservation project, and Rhino Conservation Botswana, a rhino conservation project of which he is a patron. 

WaterBear is an online streaming platform launched on December 1, which offers free-to-watch environmentally-focused content on an interactive medium. By working with over 80 NGOs and 200 projects, the streaming platform aims to "shape a better future for our fragile planet" by offering inspiring content that facilitates awareness, action, and education. 

Ellen Windemuth spoke of the "honor" it was to have Prince Harry talk to them for the launch and praised him for his work in conservation.

 "It's an honor to partner with African Parks and Prince Harry, whose hands-on passion for conservation and the environment has the ability to move the masses. With his support, we are confident that we can inspire our viewers to be change-makers. This is a unifying moment for our planet, and WaterBear is proud to amplify the work we can collectively achieve."

What do you think about Prince Harry's remarks? Has becoming a parent changed your outlook on the world as well? Let us know in the comments, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!