Prince William and Prince Harry are both fathers now, but once upon a time they were little boys growing up with one of the most famous mothers in the world. Princess Diana raised her sons with a strong sense of what it means to give back, and today, Harry and William have carried that tradition on to their children.
Even though the brothers have experienced a strained relationship over the years, they have one thing in common when it comes to their kids. Both the Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales have found themselves having to explain difficult situations to their young children—and they've been able to tie their mother’s charity work into the conversations.
While attending the 2025 Invictus Games, Prince Harry recently made comments about Prince Archie showing an interest in landmines. In a clip shared on X, the Duke of Sussex—who shares Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, with wife Meghan Markle—discussed the “very interesting” conversation he had with his son.
Explaining that Archie had been curious about some of the Invictus Games competitors who had experienced injuries in combat, Prince Harry said, "Interestingly, he gave me a chance to talk about my mum, his grandma, which I didn't even really consider." Princess Diana was passionate about eliminating landmines, and the duke said Archie “then saw videos...he wanted to see videos and photographs of his grandma Diana out doing her thing for landmines all those years ago."
Prince William has also opened up about the serious conversations he’s had with Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9 and Prince Louis, 6 on several occasions over the years.
After a Holocaust memorial event in January, the Prince of Wales shared (via Hello!), “George is getting to the age where he’s starting to understand things. So it’s getting interesting to talk to him about what happened.”
The Prince of Wales also discussed how he explains homelessness to his children on multiple occasions, including a 2023 interview with the Sunday Times. “When we were in London, driving backwards and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets, and we’d talk about it,” William shared.
“I’d say to the children, ‘Why are they there? What’s going on?’ I think it’s in all our interests, it’s the right thing to do, to expose the children, at the right stage, in the right dialogue, so they have an understanding.”
In the latest episode of Hello! magazine’s “A Right Royal Podcast,” royal editor Emily Nash pointed out she found it “interesting how it's come full circle” in terms of William and Harry explaining these issues to their children, just like Diana did with them.
Co-host Emmy Griffiths added, "They're on different continents, but it's clearly something that has been drilled into them growing up, that it's so important to have their children aware. They're both honoring their mother in a really similar way."
