From Fun Uncle to responsible dad: what kind of father will the Duke of Sussex be?

We all know a  Fun Uncle when we see one. He’ll turn the kids upside down as they shriek in high decibel delight, then chase them around the garden before turning himself into a human climbing frame. As a not-so-fun parent, you must remind yourself that he can only afford to be this much fun with your kids because he hasn’t got any of his own. Just imagine doing the fun uncle routine seven days a week: you’d be laid up in hospital with life-threatening exhaustion before you could say “everyone needs to calm down now”.

All of which raises an interesting question: what kind of parent does the Childless Fun Uncle become when he stops being childless and starts his own family? It’s a question of particular relevance right now, as we absorb the not-remotely-shock news thatFun Uncle to the nation, the Duke of Sussex, is now expecting a child of his own.

Harry has not only dutifully served his time as Fun Uncle to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; he has also spent the last several years putting in the hard yards as Awesome Godfather to around five or six of his friends’ children.

We (sort of) have proof. “Are you a really awesome godfather?” The Telegraph’s Bryony Gordon asked him when he appeared on her podcast last year. To which he modestly replied, “I’d like to think so.”

We’d like to think so, too. But what kind of father will he be? Because, we hate to break it to him: parenthood is not quite the walk in the park that drop-in-drop-out unclehood may be. Here’s what we predict:

1. He will do ‘fun’ better than most of us...

Given the preponderance of nephews, niece and godchildren he’s acquired, he’s had a great deal of practice. We’ve also seen copious instances of his natural way with kids through his charity work and official engagements. It’s easy to spot someone who’s faking it - don’t think we don’t notice your quickly fading smile and surreptitious use of hand sanitiser after coming into contact with our children; but Harry has always looked genuinely happy to be horsing around with young people. 

Nor is he averse to playing them at their own games: “The key to [being an awesome godfather] is to...stay in touch with your childhood side,” he told Gordon. “If that means going to someone’s house and sitting there and playing PlayStation and kicking the ass of their son on Counter-Strike or Halo or whatever it is, then I’ll try and do that.” Quite heroic self-sacrifice, that. We imagine he’ll be equally willing to bond with his child over such pursuits, though he might have to wait a few years. (No-one respects you for beating a baby at a game).

2. ...But he will be stern when he needs to be

Much has been made of how this erstwhile party boy has matured into a responsible young man. What happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas, but Harry has moved on since then. He’s even grown facial hair to prove it.

He’s never hidden his desire to have children, and as someone who’s keen to be a father, he will surely take seriously all the responsibilities such a position entails. This includes drawing up rules and boundaries. (No swearing in front of the Queen, always wear the correct polo kit etc. Just the usual stuff.)

3. He will be very protective

Having lost his mother at the age of just 12, and grown up in the full glare of the media spotlight, he’s fiercely protective of those closest to him. "I don't believe there's such a thing as private life any more," he reflected sadly in a 2013 interview. With this in mind, he's done all in his power to shelter the Duchess of Sussex from some of the unwanted attention she’s received, first as his girlfriend and now as his wife. He will certainly do the same for his child, limiting their exposure to the public eye as much as he possibly can. Enjoy that first official photograph when it’s released, because unlike most modern parents, we don’t expect Harry will spend early fatherhood constantly uploading baby pics to Facebook.

4. He will break with Royal tradition

Again. He’s already done so by marrying an American divorcee, inviting a gospel choir to sing at his wedding and failing to shave before his wedding, among other things. We won’t be surprised if he continues in this vein by eschewing the conventions of Royal parenting and choosing, with his Californian wife, to allow some West Coast vibes into the mix. This baby’s going to get its first taste of quinoa far quicker than many of its Royal forebears will have done.

5. He will be a thoroughly modern, hands-on father

We have nothing against the parenting style of older generations of his family, nothing whatsoever. Each to their own Royal child, and so on. But Harry is likely to learn more from his older brother than from other males in the clan. He has been watching the Duke of Cambridge do the dad thing for more than five years now, and will have consciously and unconsciously picked up on what’s normal for a 21st century father.