Prince Harry – now himself a father-of-two – said the sweetest thing when he was asked about being bumped down the line of succession by William and Kate’s children

Prince Harry might have distanced himself from the royal family in recent years. But he was once incredibly close to his brother and sister in law, William and Kate, and couldn’t have been happier when they started their family together.

The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed their son Prince George in July 2013 followed by his sister Princess Charlotte in May 2015. Youngest child Prince Louis would follow in April 2018. Back in 2017, Harry was asked about his young niece and nephew – and how he felt about being bumped down the line of succession. His comments were incredibly touching.

“The reason I am now fifth is because of my nephew and niece and I could never wish them away,” he told the Daily Mail’s Angela Levin. “They are the most amazing things ever.” In the same interview, he also expressed his desire to have children of his own one day – he and his wife Meghan Markle would go on to welcome son Archie in May 2019 and daughter Lilibet in June 2021.

Harry previously told the Mirror that he wanted George and Charlotte to share a specific part of his upbringing. “I would definitely encourage George, and Charlotte if she wants to, to have some sort of involvement in the Armed Forces, guaranteed. It’s done no harm, just good, for me, and I know it’s the same for William,” he said.

“As an uncle, you know, I would say enjoy the [royal] role, because at first it’s just pressure, pressure, pressure. If you’re going to be doing it and you’re having an effect on so many people then, if you smile, they’re smiling – and what’s the point of doing such a unique job without enjoying it?”

Despite the fact that Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in January 2020, the Prince is currently fifth in line to the throne, with Archie sixth and Lilibet seventh. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield recently spoke to the Express.co.uk about the young royals, admitting that the only time they are likely to wear a crown is “on the playground”, despite being in the line of succession

“Harry and Meghan are in their own little bubble in California… and might grow older with children that resent the isolation they’ve created between them and their extended families,” she explained, adding Lilibet “is not a princess in the United States because we don’t have those”.

Luckily, the two-year-old won’t be aware of the “sensational stories” regarding her name and her extended family, but Kinsey warned Harry and Meghan that their allegations about the royals will be easy to find online when Lilibet is older. “By then, I imagine that she will have it indoctrinated in her that the press is bad and full of misinformation… according to her parents,” she fired.