Prince Harry reveals fears for son Archie as he warns against 'extinction crisis'

In a heartfelt letter written to one of his patronages, Prince Harry spoke about a looming "extinction crisis" and fears for his son Archie's future.

Prince Harry wrote a foreword in the annual report of African Parks, an organisation focused on conservation of which he has been the president since 2017. The Duke of Sussex, who is currently isolating with wife Meghan Markle and son Archie in Los Angeles, spoke about the importance of protecting wildlife for future generations and said becoming a father has motivated him to make the world a better place.

"Since becoming a father, I feel the pressure is even greater to ensure we can give our children the future they deserve, a future that hasn't been taken from them, and a future full of possibility and opportunity," the 35-year-old wrote.

"I want us all to be able to tell our children that yes, we saw this coming, and with the determination and help from an extraordinary group of committed individuals, we did what was needed to restore these essential ecosystems," added Harry, who along with wife Meghan quit as a working royal earlier this year.

The British prince has visited Africa on multiple occasions, including a royal tour with wife Meghan in September last year. At the start of his letter, the royal spoke about his first visit to Africa.

"I have always been grateful for what wild places provide. Since my first trip to Africa as a young boy, I knew I would keep returning to this continent if I could, for its wildlife, for its people, and for its vast expanse. That is why I am so fortunate to have found African Parks and to have been asked to join them in 2017 as their President," the father-of-one wrote.

Harry also opened up about the COVID-19 illness, which had infected his father Prince Charles as well, and wrote "we are currently living through an extinction crisis, and now a global pandemic that has shaken us to our core and brought the world to a standstill."

The royal stressed that science has already warned there is only a decade left to contain the extinction crisis while adding that the exploitation of nature could also be a reason behind the origin of the latest global pandemic.

"On this pandemic, while much is still unknown, some evidence suggests that the virus' origins may be linked to our exploitation of nature. The gravity of these challenges is coming to light, but we must not be paralysed by them," Harry wrote.