When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their senior royal roles in early 2020, one of the most frequently asked questions wasn’t about titles or duties, it was about the children. How would Archie grow up? Would a second baby follow? And what kind of life were Harry and Meghan building for their family on the other side of the Atlantic?
The answers have unfolded gradually, through carefully chosen public appearances, holiday photos, and candid interviews. What emerged is a picture of two young children being raised with intention close to nature, out of the spotlight, and with parents who are fiercely protective of their privacy while still acknowledging the world’s genuine curiosity.
Prince Archie: The First Child Who Changed Everything
| Detail | Prince Archie | Princess Lilibet |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 6 May 2019 | 4 June 2021 |
| Age (2026) | 6 years old | 4 years old |
| Full Name | Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor | Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor |
| Named After | Harrison = son of Harry | Queen Elizabeth II & Princess Diana |
| Line of Succession | 6th | 7th |
| Lives | Montecito, California | Montecito, California |
The birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019, was unlike any royal birth before it. There was no traditional photocall on the steps of the Lindo Wing, no immediate crowd of photographers capturing the first family moment. Instead, Harry and Meghan introduced their son to the world on their own terms quietly, in a private setting, two days after his arrival.
Archie was born at Portland Hospital in London at 5:26 in the morning, weighing 7 pounds and 3 ounces. His birth was announced through official palace channels, but the intimate details came later, through a warm family photo that showed a clearly besotted Harry and a glowing Meghan holding their newborn son.
The Name and Its Meaning
Archie Harrison is a name that surprised many royal watchers who had expected something more traditionally aristocratic. Harrison means “son of Harry” , a quiet, personal nod from a father who wanted his son’s name to carry something real. Archie, meanwhile, is a classic name with genuine warmth, and it has stuck. Everyone from family members to tabloid headlines uses it naturally, which was probably the point.
Archie’s Christening and Early Royal Life
Archie was christened on July 6, 2019, in the private chapel at Windsor Castle by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The ceremony used water from the River Jordan, a tradition that stretches back generations in the royal family. His christening gown was a handmade replica of the original royal gown, and the guest list was kept deliberately small and private.
As a baby, Archie met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when he was just two days old. He also joined his parents on an official tour of Southern Africa in September 2019, at just four months old his first international trip, documented in the moving ITV documentary that showed Harry and Meghan’s growing strain with royal life.
What Archie Is Like Today
Now six years old and growing up in Montecito, California, Archie is by all accounts a lively, curious child. Harry has described both his children as having a sharp sense of humor that keeps him and Meghan grounded. Archie has been spotted fishing with his father reportedly catching two trout on a family vacation and has inherited the Sussex family’s distinctive red hair.
He attends school locally in California and lives what Harry has described as a deliberately normal life, away from the protocols and pressures of the royal world he was born into.
Princess Lilibet: A Name That Carries Two Legacies
Harry and Meghan’s second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California making her the first member of the British royal family to be born in the United
States. Her arrival completed the Sussex family of four.
She was named with extraordinary care. Lilibet was Queen Elizabeth II’s private family nickname used only by those closest to her, including Prince Philip throughout their seventy-three-year marriage. Diana, of course, honors Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997. The name carries both a living legacy and a deeply personal tribute, and Harry has spoken openly about how meaningful that combination is to him.
Her Royal Title
Like her brother, Lilibet was not automatically given a princess title at birth due to rules governing how far down the line of succession a grandchild needed to be. When King Charles III ascended the throne in September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the rules changed and in March 2023, both children were officially recognized as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
Lilibet’s Personality and Life in California
Now four years old, Lilibet has already shown her own strong personality. Meghan has described her as spirited and independent. She shares her brother’s red hair long and bright and has been seen in the few public glimpses the family allows, including a heartwarming Christmas photo shared in late 2025 that showed Meghan holding Lilibet’s hand on a small wooden bridge surrounded by woodland.
Like her brother, Lilibet joins her parents in small, grounded activities. Meghan has mentioned that Lili enjoys helping make preserves in the kitchen, a domestic and joyful detail that paints a picture of ordinary family life quite deliberately chosen over royal ceremony.
Growing Up Sussex: Life in Montecito
The Sussex family settled in Montecito, California, in the summer of 2020 a celebrity-friendly enclave near Santa Barbara known for its privacy, natural beauty, and distance from the media frenzy of Los Angeles. For Harry and Meghan, it represented a fresh start on entirely their own terms.
Both Archie and Lilibet are being raised with a strong sense of community. In late 2025, the family volunteered together at a local Los Angeles kitchen ahead of Thanksgiving, with both children joining their parents on the packaging line, rolling dough and helping prepare food for those in need. It was a small but telling glimpse of the values Harry and Meghan are passing on.
Privacy and Protection
Harry has been vocal about his determination to protect his children from the kind of media scrutiny he experienced growing up. Legal battles over paparazzi photographs, discussions about security provisions, and a deliberate absence from royal events have all been part of building a protective boundary around Archie and Lilibet.
That said, Harry and Meghan do share moments with the public through carefully chosen photos, holiday greetings, and occasional appearances ensuring their children aren’t invisible, just shielded.
Where Archie and Lilibet Stand in the Line of Succession
Despite living far from the palace, Harry’s children remain part of the British royal family’s line of succession. Archie currently sits sixth in line to the throne, and Lilibet seventh behind Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Prince Harry himself.
Archie’s position at sixth means he falls under the Succession to the Crown Act requirement that the first six in line must seek the monarch’s permission before marrying. It’s an unlikely situation to arise in a practical sense, but it serves as a reminder that no matter how private their California life, the Sussex children remain woven into the fabric of the British monarchy.
A New Kind of Royal Childhood
Archie and Lilibet are growing up in circumstances no royal children before them have experienced being raised in California by parents who left the institution behind but kept the titles, navigating a dual identity between British heritage and American life.
What comes through clearly from every glimpse Harry and Meghan allow is that their children are loved, grounded, and thriving. They fish, bake, help in the community, and laugh with their parents. They’re being given the ordinary childhood that Harry, by his own account, never fully had.
Whether the world will see more of them as they grow up remains to be seen. But for now, the Sussex household in Montecito seems to be exactly what Harry and Meghan set out to build a family life defined by choice rather than obligation, and by love rather than legacy.
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