5 Times Prince Harry Let His Goofy Side Slip Around Kids

Even amidst years of headlines and being involved in royal drama, Prince Harry’s lighter side has not lost its shine. Long before he welcomed fatherhood, he often showed a playful and relaxed energy around kids. It helped him create some of his most memorable public moments through spontaneous exchanges, dances, and so on. And now that he is a dad himself, he is just all the more involved with them.

One of the Duke’s most viral moments happened in the 2017 Invictus Games, being held in Toronto. He was sitting beside competitor David Henson. A young Emily Henson quickly created quite the buzz after she began stealing popcorn from Harry’s tub as he pretended not to know what was going on. Harry eventually caught on and joked along with the little munchkin as the cameras captured the entire mischievous moment. During the interaction, she also offered her pacifier to the prince, and soon, it became one of the most adorable moments featuring a royal family member. Long before Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet entered his life, Harry already seemed comfortable stepping into his goofy dad mode on multiple occasions.

Harry’s playful personality was on display once again during the 2025 WellChild Awards. He playfully dueled with Gwen Foster, a nine-year-old, using balloons as swords. Photos making the rounds on the internet depicted the prince holding onto a long yellow balloon as a weapon while laughing alongside the little one. The lighthearted moment shed light on the informal warmth that had once made Harry one of the most relatable young royals while he was growing up. Even at such a formal charity event, he found a way to break the tension and connect naturally with children who attended alongside their families.

As he visited Aberdeen, Scotland, in 2016 in order to support Denis Law’s Streetsports initiative, Prince Harry came together with local children to play hockey and indulge in other outdoor activities. Apart from handing out high-fives, he attempted to impress the young ones while trying to do the dab, a popular dance move from the 2010s. Although it is no longer a trend, the royal’s willingness to adapt to it was telling of his relaxed approach that often separated him from more formal royal appearances. The visit was meant to blend humor, sports, and community outreach in a very approachable manner. 

Harry’s jovial side also made headlines when he and Meghan Markle were on their 2026 Australian tour. As they visited Sydney Harbor, the former danced and even twirled around a young Charlotte Vanderzwan, daughter of veteran Joel Vanderzwan, known for participating in the Invictus Games, outside the Opera House. As per PEOPLE, Markle later reacted to the sweet moment and said, "He's very good at twirling.”

Perhaps one of the most carefree moments from Harry came during his 2014 visit to a daycare center for children with disabilities in Santiago, Chile. As music played, the prince shared the stage with the kids as they danced to Katy Perry’s Firework as he happily attempted to match their choreography. While his moves were not polished, his aim was to be committed to having fun alongside the kids. It’s moments like these that have helped shape his image for years as the royal who is willing to lose protocol the most to embrace silliness and bond with people through laughs instead of formality.