Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet may be descended from literal kings and queens, but their parents Meghan Markle and Prince Harry want them to have normal lives — and are in no rush to tell them about their royal heritage.
“They’ll have those conversations in due time,” a family friend shared in the latest issue of Us Weekly, adding that they want Archie, 5, and Lilbet, 3, to be loved for who they are as individuals. “They’re so well-mannered. Archie is sweet and curious and playful, and Lili is vibrant and happy.” (The grandchildren of King Charles III, both kids are in the line of succession to the British throne: Archie is sixth, while his younger sister is seventh.)
The Duke, 39, and Duchess, 43, live with their little ones in Montecito, Calif., and the couple keep their kids out of the spotlight for a very important reason.
“I think every parent wants to share their kid with the world, but they just can’t,” they explained to Us. “[Prince] William’s kids, for example, have way more safety, even though they’re recognizable. And the same doesn’t apply to Meghan and Harry’s children. They know the world wants to see [them but] I would expect them to live smaller lives until that gets sorted, if it ever does.”
Despite their busy schedules with their Archewell foundation and their personal business ventures — including her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand and an upcoming Netflix show —, Meghan and Harry are very hands-on-parents.
“They take the kids to school, they pick them up, and they are very active and present with them throughout the day,” the friend added.
Meghan and Harry welcomed son Archie in May 2019 and daughter Lilibet in June 2021. In January 2020, the couple announced that they would be stepping down from their royal titles and ended up deciding to move to the U.S. to raise their children.
Four months ago, Meghan previously gushed over her two “chatty, sweet” children during a trip to Nigeria to speak about how she balances raising her kids and pursuing her career.
“[Bonnie Hammer] invited me to have breakfast, and I thought this was just the biggest deal in the world,” Meghan recounted a conversation she had with her mentor during a panel in May. “And I asked her that exact question. I said, ‘How do you find the balance?’ And she said, ‘You don’t, you’ll never find the balance.”
Meghan went on to explain how she figured out what that balance meant to her after getting married and having kids.
“What I think that means now is that balance will always change for you … What seems balanced 10 years ago is going to shift,” she shared. “And so being a mom has always been a dream of mine. And I’m so fortunate that we have two beautiful, healthy, very chatty, sweet children. I love being a mom.”
