It became clear that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry would have a uniquely modern royal marriage when they left his famous family and resettled in the U.S.

Since then, the two have given us the occasional glimpse into their life as a new young family, and the latest one is the sweetest of all. Meghan Markle, a.k.a. the Duchess of Sussex, says Prince Harry is a feminist father to baby Archie, and is praising his nurturing side.


Markle sat down with feminist icon Gloria Steinem is a conversation for Makers Women. She explained how her views on feminism have evolved over the years. “As I’ve gotten older I’ve been able to understand that it’s not mutually exclusive to be a feminist and be feminine,” Markle says. Steinem agrees, explaining that “you can be feminist and be masculine and be a guy.”

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“Like my husband!” Markle says. “I love that when he just came in he said, ‘You know that I’m a feminist too, right Gloria?! It’s really important to me that you know that.'”

The Duchess then raves about what a role model Harry will be for Archie. “I look at our son and what a beautiful example that he gets to grow up with a father who is so comfortable owning that as part of his own self-identification. That there’s no shame in being someone who advocates for fundamental human rights for everyone, which of course includes women.”

Steinem then hits on the most important part of all, saying, “And also that he is a nurturing father. Because then your son will grow up knowing it’s okay to be loving and nurturing.” Markle wholeheartedly agrees.

It’s not the first time the Duchess has praised Harry’s parenting skills, calling him an “amazing dad” in a birthday message last year. It’s also not the first time she’s given him props for being a feminist. She called out the need for men and boys to be feminists during a panel last year, according to TODAY, adding “My husband certainly is.

All kids can benefit from having a feminist role model in their life, but one expert says it’s got unique benefits for boys. “It is healthier for the boys themselves,” psychologist Taryn Myers, told The Week. “It lets them know that it is okay to experience and show emotions, which is much more psychologically healthy than our current thought of ‘man up’ and ‘real men don’t cry.'” It seems like a pretty safe bet that baby Archie won’t grow up ever hearing those words from his royal dad.

While Harry is a role model to Archie, let’s hope he can be a role model to other dads, too. Even though the word feminist may have radical connotations for some, the dictionary definition is simply someone who believes in and fights for the equality of the sexes—and that’s something all parents should strive for.