Prince Harry has opened up about how his children are settling into life in the UK following the family’s move back home.
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, relocated to the Cotswolds in August with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, after spending six years living in California.
While attending the WellChild Awards in London on Monday, Harry’s third public appearance in the UK since the move, the proud father shared insights into how Archie and Lilibet are adjusting to their new home.
He said the family has been enjoying “lots of walks”, while the children have also embraced some traditional British food.
“Now the kids are eating Marmite on crumpets, which is big for me,” Prince Harry told Hello! Magazine.
“They used to diss me for having Marmite in the house, and now they’re in the UK it’s like that’s kind of like water under the bridge, so it’s good.”
Harry has been patron of the charity since 2007, which supports children living with medical needs and their families.
Although he attended the event alone, Harry explained how he helped Archie and Lilibet through their “Monday morning blues” by telling them about the children being recognised at the awards.
“At breakfast this morning, I decided, ‘You know what? You’re being a little bit tricky, so I’m going to tell you exactly what I’m doing tonight’,” Harry told Hello! Magazine.
“And they were fascinated and asking all sorts of questions.
“So, like with all of my work and their mum’s work as well, whatever we can do to try to instill some of that awareness, I think is absolutely crucial.”
The Duchess of Sussex attended the WellChild Awards alongside Prince Harry in 2018 and 2019, but was absent this year despite the couple recently moving back to Britain.
Meghan was reportedly photographed in public for the first time since the move, catching up with former US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres at a pub near Burford in Oxfordshire.
In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back as senior working members of the British royal family before moving to the US.
When asked about the reason behind their return to the UK, Harry said a part of the decision was to be closer to his charity work.
“No longer being 5,000 miles away should make it easier to be more available to support the charities that need us, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Harry said at the event.
During the awards, Harry also met a young girl wearing sparkles, prompting him to speak about his own daughter.
“I have a boy and a girl who are seven and five. My little girl loves sparkles and she loves pink. That’s her favourite colour,” he said of Princess Lilibet.
In a speech on stage, the duke praised the children being recognised and their families, who he said “give it everything they’ve got every single day”.
“To all the mums and dads — most of us will never truly know the emotional ups and downs of your day,” Harry said.
“But I sincerely hope that you take strength from nights like this.
“And while we may not know the detail of your day, in this room and beyond, we recognise the commitment of your care and all that comes with it.”
The Duke of Sussex refused to answer any questions about his uncle’s book as he arrived at the Lancaster Hotel in London for the annual WellChild Awards on Monday night.
However, Charles Spencer claims Prince Harry is “completely fine” with the new memoir chronicling the life of his mother, the late Princess Diana.
The earl has made a series of claims about King Charles in his new book titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister.
In his allegation, he claims Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” following Diana’s death, igniting an ongoing public battle with Buckingham Palace.
A palace spokesperson said last week the king is “mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise”.
When asked about Harry and his brother Prince William about the book, the earl told People magazine: “I can say that Harry is completely fine about it.”
“He said, I hope there’s nothing embarrassing about him in it. I said, ‘There isn’t’,” Spencer said.
“It’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book.
“But I could reassure both of them that they’re of course in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother, I’m not in any way compromising their privacy at all.”
It comes amid reports that Harry is planning a documentary about Diana for the 30th anniversary of her death next year.