Meghan Markle baby: Harry presented with shirt for baby Archie FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Describing how his newborn child has given him focus, Harry also spoke of the trauma of losing his mother, Diana, who died in 1997 when the Prince was just aged 12. He spoke to soldier Dennis van der Stroon during a trip to the Hague to promote the Invictus Games due to take place in one years’ time. Mr van der Stroon, who served in the Dutch army, said: “He 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.” The soldier, who served in the military from 2006 to 2011, added: “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.” He continued: “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. Harry has opened up about the death of his mother Princess Diana “I told Harry about my mother and we talked about our shared experience of missing a mum. “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, 34, wore a jacket to the event that read ‘Invictus Family Daddy’ on it as he travelled to Holland a day after showing is newborn off to the world in a photo call with wife Meghan Markle in Windsor. He and Meghan, 37, smiled for pictures yesterday with the newborn Asked whether Archie would accompany him to the 2020 games Harry replied: “I’ve no idea.” Announcing the birth of his son on Monday, Harry gave a giddy statement to the public at Windsor - though it later emerged Meghan had been taken to hospital for the birth, shattering her hopes of a home birth. Harry delivered a heartfelt speech following his son’s arrival, saying it was “the most amazing experience I can ever have possibly imagined”.<doc-sep>Watch : Prince Harry Returns to Work 3 Days After Archie's Birth Prince Harry opened up about missing late mom Princess Diana while speaking in the Netherlands on Thursday, his first formal engagement and overseas trip since his wife Meghan Markle gave birth to their first child earlier this week. The couple's son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on Monday. Harry and Meghan debuted the baby at a small press photo call at Windsor Castle two days later and the Duke of Sussex jetted off to the Hague the following morning to spend a few hours at the Hague to attend a presentation for the 2020 Invictus Games, which will be held in the city, before returning to the U.K. Harry is a royal patron of the annual international Paralympic-style event for wounded and ill veterans and military servicemen and women. Former soldier and would-be competitor Dennis van der Stroon met with Harry and told the press that that they about family and losing a mother. Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at age 36. "He 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," van der Stroon said about Harry.<doc-sep>The prince spoke about how becoming a father poignantly reminded him of his late mother Prince Harry is opening up about how the birth of his son Archie has “given him a new focus and goal” in his life — and how fatherhood has made him feel the loss of his mother Princess Diana. The new royal dad traveled to The Netherlands on Thursday — while wife Meghan Markle and their newborn son stayed home in Windsor — to launch the official countdown to the Invictus Games in The Hague next year. During a bike ride around the park, Harry, 34, opened up to Dennis van der Stroon, 31, a former soldier who hopes to compete for The Netherlands Invictus team. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Archie Sussex, Princess Diana Credit: Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty. Inset: Tim Graham/Getty Dennis revealed his conversation with Harry was “amazing and emotional,” as the pair cycled together around site for next year’s Invictus Games. He said Harry opened up about his new son and spoke about how becoming a father poignantly reminded him of his late mother. Prince Harry visit to The Hague Prince Harry | Credit: Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images “At a certain moment, we just got connected on this level,” Dennis said. “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. “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.” The Duke Of Sussex's Visits The Netherlands Credit: Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images “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. 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.” Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R), and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo with their newborn baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on May 8, 2019. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty Images) Credit: Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty In addition to both being veterans (Harry served in the Army for 10 years), the two both experienced the loss of their mothers. In 2014, Dennis’ mother, Marion, died from chronic lung disease, and in 2015 he was diagnosed with PTSD, triggering what he described as a “domino effect” of mental health issues.<doc-sep>
Prince Harry might be new to fatherhood, but it’s safe to say his son, Archie, whom he shares with wife Duchess Meghan, has already stolen his heart. The royal got nostalgic during a solo trip to the Netherlands on Thursday, May 9, when he reflected on the loss of his mother, Princess Diana. Dennis van der Stroon, a veteran who spoke with the former military pilot, 34, at the countdown launch for the 2020 Invictus Games, shared a story with Harry regarding his own mother’s death, and how his wife is currently pregnant, according to Hello! (Princess Diana died at age 36 in August 1997 after a tragic car accident.) “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,” van der Stroon, 31, told the outlet. “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. 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.” Van der Stroon added that the conversation then turned to their late moms. “I told Harry about my mother and we talked about our shared experience of missing a mum. He 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,” van der Stroon shared. “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 and the former Suits star, 37, welcomed their son on Monday, May 6, and shared news of his name two days later. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased to announce they have named their first born child: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor,” the couple captioned a picture on their Instagram page. “This afternoon Their Royal Highnesses introduced Her Majesty The Queen to her eighth great-grandchild at Windsor Castle. The Duke of Edinburgh and the duchess’ mother were also present for this special occasion.”