Meghan Gives Birth to a Boy - 7 Reasons We Think Harry Will Be An Amazing Dad

Mum and baby are reportedly doing well

Posted on

7 May 2019

7 Reasons We Think Harry Will Be An Amazing Dad

The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a son weighing 7lb 3oz, Buckingham Palace has announced yesterday.

Harry was at his wife’s side and mother and baby are both doing well.

The palace said in a statement: “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs.”

Harry and Meghan’s baby is seventh in line to the throne, and the baby’s sex was a surprise for the couple, who chose not to find out what they were having.

So now that Harry has a son, what will be like as a father?

Ten years ago, some might have referred to him as the black sheep of the royal family – reported rows at nightclubs; tabloid intrusions; one deeply questionable choice of fancy dress – but Harry has since transformed into the epitome of a royal role model. A loving marriage, a host of good causes, and an ever-present air of dignified positivity.

Now the prodigal prince is has a child of his own, and we couldn’t be more excited for him.

Here’s why we’re pretty sure he’s going to make an excellent dad.

1. He really wants to be one

Being a good parent takes effort, so perhaps the most important quality in a new father is simply the desire to be one. Harry and Meghan have both spoken at length about their longing for a child, and their summer wedding quickly yielded a birth date in spring.

Many a child has been enthralled by his beard (Phil Noble/PA)

2. He has an acute sense of the bigger picture

Harry may only be 34, but the well-travelled ex-military man seems wise beyond his years.

“As someone who is about to become a father,” he told a packed house at the Commonwealth Youth Roundtable earlier this year, “I am acutely aware of our shared responsibility to make this world more resilient and its inhabitants more accountable for the next generation. The only way to see real progress is not by chance, it’s by change.”

They say that parenthood makes you re-evaluate what matters in your life. For Harry, it’s starting early.

3. He’s already great with kids

You only have to watch Harry during public events to see how easily he engages with younger fans. Kneeling and bending to communicate on their level – hugs are commonplace and silly faces abound.

In 2017, a viral clip from the Invictus Games showed Harry feigning outrage after catching a child stealing some of his popcorn. It was an unguarded moment, and Harry looks every inch the playful parent.

4. He’s never lost his sense of fun

Whether dabbing for groups of schoolchildren, joking around with Barack Obama, or petting every single dog in sight, Harry’s inner child is endearingly close to the surface.

Always quick with a joke, he’s adored by his niece and nephews, and godfather to several of his friend’s children. He performs his godfatherly duties by, and we quote, “kicking their arses at Counter-Strike and Halo.” Keep it up, Harry – just maybe let them win from time to time.

Both are thoroughly good boys (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

5. He’s made mistakes and dealt with tough situations

Prince Harry may have been born in a palace, and grown up around an endless supply of silver spoons, but no amount of grandeur can soften the loss of a parent.

He also made a few mistakes of his own (dead horses that need no more flogging). We’re not necessarily saying it’s good to make mistakes, but if you learn from them, you can come out all the stronger.

Throw in 10 years in the army, and you’ve got yourself a royal who understands life’s slings and arrows at least as well as the average commuter – possibly a whole lot better.

6. He’s not afraid to express himself

It is more impressive to overcome your fear than it is to not feel any in the first place, and Harry has been very candid about his difficulties. He admitted in 2017 that after his mother’s death he’d “shut down all his emotions for the last 20 years”, often leaving him “on the verge of breakdown”, before finally seeking therapy aged 28.

During a public engagement on a tour of New Zealand last Autumn, Harry suddenly found himself face-to-face with a boy who had lost his own mother some years before. The Prince chatted one-to-one with the boy for several minutes, giving him powerful advice on how to deal with the trauma.

It takes a real man to face up to your vulnerabilities, and then put those experiences to good use. That kind of behaviour wins not only the hearts of the nation, but the respect of any child.

Expressing himself in two ways (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

7. He’s a mental health champion

From spearheading the Heads Together campaign to founding the Invictus Games, Harry is now a frontline figure in the field of men’s mental health.

He knows a thing or two, because he’s seen a thing or two: “I know there’s huge merit in talking about your issues – keeping quiet only ever makes it worse. Once I started talking about it to my mates, two months later, those mates were coming back to me unravelling their own issues, because they knew I could relate to it.”

Great work from the redheaded royal, and a textbook case of leading by example. After years spent alleviating the traumas of fellow veterans, handling his child should be a piece of cake.