The Real Reason Prince Harry Just Paused His Paternity Leave
Prince Harry is on a five-month paternity leave following the birth of daughter Lilibet Diana (we stan a supportive dad!), in keeping with the Archewell Foundation's 20-week paid parental leave policy. So, what is he doing out and about making public statements right now?
As with everything related to Harry and Meghan Markle these days, baby Lili's birth on June 4, 2021 was not without controversy. There were those who objected to her name, which is a tribute to both Queen Elizabeth and Harry's mother Princess Diana, on the grounds that they may not have had the queen's permission, it was a "rude" overstep, or maybe even a marketing ploy, via The Daily Beast.
Whatever the new parents have to say about disgruntled reactions by the public to their child's name, how they chose it, or how they're currently spending their time, you'd have to guess. The couple has been laying low to take care of their newborn daughter.
That is, until Harry suddenly popped up to make a brief announcement. So what could have temporarily drawn the devoted father out into the public eye?
Prince Harry needed to say something
If you're a big fan of Prince Harry, you probably already guessed that it would have something to do with the Invictus Games, the paralympic sporting event for wounded veterans that the prince started in 2014. Harry made a quick appearance on the official Invictus Games Instagram account in a teaser video for the upcoming event, which had been canceled due to COVID-19.
"It's time to spread the news," Harry says in a selfie video at the start of the teaser (via People). "Something big is coming to Germany." The rest of the clip shows an athlete running through the streets of Dusseldorf, ending in the announcement that the 2023 games will take place in the German city in September.
Harry's part in the video looks like it took about 15 seconds to record, so we're guessing he didn't take a ton of time away from his wife and children to help make the announcement.