The Duchess of Sussex and the Duke of Sussex are devoted parents to their two children, Lilibet Diana, one, and Archie Harrison, three. Even though they are royalty, they face the same challenges as everyone else in raising children.
So what techniques do they employ with their kids? We look at their parenting manual, which covers everything from having impeccable manners to showering their young children with love and affection.
Privacy is key
The upbringing of Harry and Meghan’s children will be as typical as possible. This entails preserving their privacy and attempting to keep some information private, such as the date of their christenings, the names of their godparents, the hospital where they were born, and more. In keeping with their desire for Archie and Lilibet to become private citizens, the couple also decided against giving them royal titles.
Parenting is a learning experience
When a new parent brings their child home, neither parent is entirely sure what they are doing. Four months after Archie’s birth, the Duchess spoke candidly about how she and Harry were adjusting to parenthood during a trip to Cape Town in 2019.
When one of the coaches suggested to Meghan that her strength was dancing, “She laughed and said no she doesn’t think so but parenting is a new strength that she and Harry are learning and developing,” said Ash Heese, training and partnerships manager for Waves for Change.
She praised him as the best father, and he praised her as the best mother.
Shower them with love
The way Harry and Meghan coo over Archie and Lilibet tells us they adore them, and their famous friend David Beckham confirmed it. David said, “I think he’s enjoying being a young father for the first time and that’s what we always spoke about,” in a February interview with ET.
He went on: “You change when you become a parent. Harry demands happiness all the time. The most important thing is that we love him and think the world of him. However, I’m proud to watch him develop into the kind of man every father hopes to be. I see in him the love that every father wants to have for his kids.”
Impeccable manners are a must
The duchess recently opened up in a candid interview with The Cut about how important good manners at home are to her children. Archie is currently being taught by the couple the value of manners. She uttered: “We frequently remind him that manners make a man. The importance of manners cannot be overstated.”
Date night is important
It can be scary to leave your baby alone for the first time, but Harry and Meghan understand the value of time spent together as a couple. The couple went on a day date to see The Lion King’s world premiere two months after Archie was born. At that point, Beyoncé and Jay-Z also provided some priceless advice to the newlyweds. The rapper advised Prince Harry, “The best advice I can give you, always find time for yourself.”
To attend a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in London in late June, the Sussexes also left baby Archie at home. The couple also visited the UK without him for their final royal engagements before stepping down from their positions as heirs to the throne.
Family bonding time is a priority
It’s crucial to spend time with the entire family, not just the immediate ones. Just a few days after his birth, Archie was introduced to his family; two weeks later, he met the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, and Prince William and Kate. One of the first members of the family to meet Archie was Lady Jane Fellowes, sister of Princess Diana.
Additionally, Harry and Meghan want their children to form strong bonds with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, his royal cousins. While Charlotte and Louis first met their new baby cousin during the Cambridges and Sussexes’ family outing to the polo in July 2019, George and Archie were first introduced to one another in private.
It’s ok to ask for help
Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, was present to assist the Duchess both times after giving birth. During Archie’s first few weeks of life, she spent time with the family at Frogmore Cottage, teaching Meghan the ropes and assisting her in adjusting to motherhood. Meghan didn’t hesitate to ask for more assistance when Doria left for Los Angeles, hiring a nanny to assist her at home.
Eat organic as much as possible
It is no secret that Meghan enjoys carbohydrates; in fact, she has joked that french fries belong in their own food category. The mother of two, however, is generally very health conscious and makes an effort to follow a gluten-free and vegan diet during the week. Her close friend Daniel Martin has said that she will impart her clean eating habits to her children. Daniel said to CBS host Gayle King: “The infant will undoubtedly grow up healthy and environmentally friendly. She enjoys cooking and tries to eat only organic food. I can definitely see her preparing her own meals. Totally!”
Have an eco-conscious home
The installation of a £50,000 green energy unit, which provided them with heat, hot water, and electricity, was part of the millions of dollars’ worth of renovations the royals made to Frogmore Cottage, their former residence. Regarding Archie’s first nursery, the organic and vegan paint from the German company Auro is said to have been used to decorate the space’s neutral and grey tones.
Harry has also mentioned his practice of turning off the lights at home, as his father King Charles is a big supporter of environmental causes. Harry said: “He’s a stickler for turning lights off and that’s now something that I’m obsessed with” in the BBC documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70.
Meghan also once stated: “It’s important that we never forget the wellbeing of our good ol’ Mama Earth” in her now-defunct blog The Tig.
Pets make a happy home
More is always better! The Duchess brought Guy, her rescue beagle, with her when she moved to London because Harry and Meghan are dog lovers. In 2018, the couple also adopted a Labrador puppy. The couple moved to LA and brought their dogs with them. In the future, we can see them growing their family by adding a third pet, and perhaps even a fourth and a fifth!
Their children will be feminists
One of Meghan’s defining traits is her feminism, and she has pushed Prince Harry to publicly express his feminist opinions. The children of the couple will undoubtedly be raised as feminists.
A heavily pregnant Meghan took part in a panel discussion on International Women’s Day 2019 about the struggles women face and their hopes for the future. She disclosed: “I had watched a documentary about feminism on Netflix, and one of the things they said was, “I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism,” when they were pregnant. I really liked that, so we’re hoping that’s the case with our little bump, boy or girl.”
Carry out charity work
When Prince Harry visited the Netherlands for his Invictus Games Foundation, Archie was just a few days old. He also traveled to Rome to play in a Sentebale charity polo match, missing his wife and their young son for a sizable portion of that time. While Archie and Lilibet will be raised as private citizens, it is clear that the couple is dedicated to their respective charitable organizations. The young children will undoubtedly learn the value of charitable work from their famous parents.
