The Duke of Sussex’s recent return to the active landmines of Angola stirred up an unprecedented well of emotion.

As well as replicating his late mother Princess Diana’s minefield walk for the second time, Prince Harry was particularly affected by the plight of the children in the African country, who are still at risk of injury

or death due to remaining undetected landmines.

Harry’s fragile feelings were clearly close to the surface when he released a statement after the trip.

In it, he reiterated his despair over local children not being safe to live freely.

“As a father to young children, it breaks my heart to see innocent children still living and playing next to minefields,” Harry, 40, shared on the Sussex.com website.

“All of us have a duty to protect children and future generations from the harms of war, both present and past.”

No doubt, Harry’s children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, were on his mind when he penned the moving words.

“It’s unusual for a royal to show so much emotion,” an insider tells New Idea. “Usually it’s a case of maintaining a stiff upper lip. Protocol would normally dictate he take a more measured tone.

But meeting with the children in Angola, now that he’s a dad himself, really touched a nerve in Harry.”

The visit also roused some complicated feelings in relation to his own family.

“Harry desperately wants to take his kids to Africa – and back home to the UK – but not without adequate security in place,” our insider explains. “It’s such a special place to him, but it would’ve been a security nightmare.”

In May, Harry lost his legal challenge to reinstate his security detail if he and his family were to return to the UK.

As a result, he has refused to travel to Britain with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 43, and their kids, stating it’s “too dangerous”.

But with recent events in California, where the Sussexes live, such as the catastrophic January wildfires and the violent anti-Trump rallies in June, Harry’s “continuing to worry that the US isn’t as safe as he’d once thought, for his family”.

Even though he lives in a highly secure, gated enclave in Montecito, “Harry continues to fret about his family’s safety,” our source adds.

“That’s why it’s no wonder he spoke so emotively about the vulnerable children he encountered in Angola,” our source adds.

“He’s beyond grateful that Archie and Lili can grow up without worrying about their next meal, but the safety – of all children – is what keeps him awake at night. It’s an emotional time for him.”