Prince Harry discusses ‘joys’ of being a dad in new message ahead of his 40th birthday

Prince Harry is ready to enter his next decade.

The Duke of Sussex turns 40 on September 15 and he marked the milestone birthday by reflecting on parenthood and his philanthropic work.

“I was worried about the 30s, I’m excited about the 40s,” he said in a statement to the BBC.

He also opened up about how fatherhood has shaped his worldview. He and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have two children: Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.

He called his children “incredibly kind and funny kids” who gave him “a new perspective on life.”

He also called being a dad “one of the greatest joys in life” and said fatherhood had made him “more motivated and more committed to making this world a better place.”

Harry and Meghan rarely share photos of their children in public, but they included a sweet photo of their family of four in their 2021 digital greeting card.

The prince briefly spoke about Archie in a 2022 interview with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb, who asked if Archie inherited his father’s “cheeky” personality.

“Yes, and I mean it,” he said. “I always try to keep that. I think sass is something that keeps you alive.”

As he celebrated his birthday, Harry also said: “No matter what age, my mission is to continue to be present and do good in the world.”

“Let’s move on to the next decade,” he concluded his statement.

Harry said he plans to celebrate his birthday on Sunday with his family in California, before heading on holiday with his closest friends.

He and his family have lived in Montecito, California, for more than four years now, after stepping down as working members of the British royal family in 2020.

Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family has fractured in recent years.

The couple opened up about some of their behind-the-scenes experiences with the family in their 2022 Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan.”

The following year, Harry shared further revelations about his family in his bestselling memoir, “Spare.”

The prince has made occasional visits to the UK since moving to California.

In May, he traveled to his home country to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, a celebration of wounded service members and veterans, which he co-founded in 2014.

He also briefly visited the UK in February to meet his father, King Charles, after the royal was diagnosed with cancer.

In March, Harry and Meghan also sent wishes of “health and recovery” after Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced she was being treated for cancer.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com