Prince Harry Gushes Over The 'Best Gift' He's Ever Received Ahead Of His 40th Milestone Birthday

Prince Harry has revealed a special detail about his personal life as he prepares to mark his 40th birthday.

In an email, the Invictus Games founder shared that his children are the "best gift" he has ever received. He also reflected on the joy of watching them grow while raising them away from the media spotlight.

Later this month, Prince Harry will travel to New York City to promote several philanthropic initiatives.

Proud father Prince Harry has lovingly shared that his kids, Archie and Lilibet, are the "best gifts" he has ever received.

"The best gift I've ever been given is, without doubt, my kids. I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad," said the Invictus Games founder, who shares the kids with his wife Meghan Markle, in an email to People Magazine.

They welcomed their son, Prince Archie, in May 2019 while still serving as senior royals. In January 2020, they stepped down from their royal roles and relocated to California, where they had their daughter Princess Lilibet in June 2021.

Unlike the couple's very public lives, they have strived to raise their kids out of the media spotlight, only occasionally sharing a few details about them.

In a previous chat with People, a friend of the "Spare" author shared that this decision stemmed from a need to keep them safe from potential threats.

"Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats," said the source. "He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm."

Since stepping down from his senior royal role alongside his wife, Harry's relationship with the royal family has significantly deteriorated.

Although leaving the royal family first appeared to cause a rift between both parties, Harry's release of his bombshell memoir "Spare," the tell-all documentary with Meghan, and several other shocking interviews only worsened the strain on their relationship.

Now, not many think that Harry could be welcomed back into the royal fold. However, the Invictus Games founder previously claimed that he wouldn't want his kids to be estranged from the royal family like he currently is.

In January 2023, he told People, "I've said before that I've wanted a family, not an institution—so of course, I would love nothing more than for our children to have relationships with members of my family, and they do with some, which brings me great joy."

Later this month, the Duke of Sussex will mark his 40th birthday surrounded by Archie, Lilibet, and Meghan.

According to reports, he will also invite his friends over to join in on the celebration and plans to mark the day in a big way.

"They will likely throw a lavish party and invite friends over around his birthday," royal commentator Lydia Alty told the Express.

She added, "Meghan and Harry have many friends in Hollywood, so it will definitely be a huge bash whatever they do. Who knows, they may even sell inside pictures of the party to the media."

The milestone birthday will also trigger a special inheritance gift for the Invictus Games founder. According to The Mirror, the amount is rumored to be around £7 million [$8 million], the prince's share of a trust fund established by the late Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth.

After his birthday celebrations, Harry will jet out to New York City without his wife, Meghan.

This contrasts with his last trip to the Big Apple in October 2023, where he and the Duchess spoke on stage at the Archewell Foundation's first in-person event,  The Archewell Foundation Parents' Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age.

According to a spokesperson for the Invictus Games founder, the prince would promote a "number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives" during the trip.

They also mentioned that "he will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst" and "be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex."

After the success of their previous tours, Harry and Meghan are reportedly considering plans for a third tour.

Though they have not officially confirmed any plans or potential destinations for a new tour, it's speculated that countries like Lesotho and Botswana are under consideration.

Harry last visited these countries in 2019 and is rumored to be considering a return, as they are closely linked to his charity, Sentebale. The charity's first initiative was established in Lesotho in 2006 in collaboration with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, while the Botswana project was launched in 2016.

An insider told Hello! that the Duke is well-positioned to continue participating in such tours alongside his wife, as he is accustomed to them.

They said, "That's his world, that's what he's used to, and that's what he knows. He can still add value."