Inside the Secret World of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

As members of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have the unique experience of growing up outside of Buckingham Palace.

Shortly after Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on May 6, 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as working royals in January 2020 and moved to California.

The change was “what Meghan and Harry have always wanted,” a royal insider told People shortly after their relocation. “To create their own life.”

In California, the Spare author, 41, and former Suits star, 44, place an importance on giving back to underserved communities — a value they have instilled in Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4.

Ahead of the Christmas holiday, the couple announced that their Archewell Foundation has become Archewell Philanthropies and that part of the rebrand “allows the couple and their children to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors as a family.”

In a year-end video shared to their Sussex.com website, Archie and Lilibet were even seen pushing a trolley of food items alongside their parents during a community event ahead of Thanksgiving.

During a sit-down with Harper’s Bazaar in November, Meghan said that being an entrepreneur has helped her teach the children to learn from their mistakes.

“I’m a mom with kids at that age where they are constantly learning something new,” she explained. “I watch them face things that feel completely insurmountable every day. But you can remember and say, ‘I know it seems really hard right now, but trust me, that’s going to come so easily soon.’ I can give myself the same grace as a founder. There’s no such thing as perfect. I, too, get to make mistakes.”

They’re also making sure their children are humble. Meghan once revealed that Archie asked for a high-tech Leica camera after seeing her friend Misan Harriman (who took Lilibet’s first birthday portrait) use one.

“I bought Archie a camera, and he said, ‘But it’s not a Leica like Misan,’” Meghan once said at a Q&A, as seen in a video obtained by Gold Derby. “I said, ‘You are not getting a Leica! Not even for Christmas.’”

Instead, their father tries to focus on things that are less materialistic and have a deeper meaning — like the Invictus Games, the sports tournament he founded to support wounded, injured and sick service members.

“It’s a very interesting conversation to have with your kids — to explain why that person is missing a leg, why that person is missing an arm, why do they look the way they do. It’s challenging but important,” Harry told People in February.

But while Archie and Lilibet appear to be growing up with some standout qualities, a source told Examiner that their grandfather King Charles III is yearning to learn more about them.

“He cherishes the relationship he has with [William’s kids],” shared the insider. “But it’s bittersweet because he doesn’t know Harry’s two at all.”

Given his undisclosed cancer diagnosis, “The situation weighs on Charles a lot more than he lets on,” said the source. “These are his grandchildren, his flesh and blood. He wants to get to know them in the time he has left.”