Importance Score: 25 / 100 🔵
Royal Disagreement Emerges Over Children’s Public Exposure
Reports indicate a potential divergence in opinion between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle regarding the extent to which their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, should be featured in the public eye. Royal commentator Matt Wilkinson, speaking on Hello! magazine’s Right Royal podcast, suggested the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have differing views on managing media attention surrounding their young family.
Harry’s Preference for Privacy
According to Wilkinson, Prince Harry reportedly prefers to keep Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet shielded from excessive publicity. “My understanding is that, initially, Harry was keen to ensure his children remained largely out of the public view,” Wilkinson stated. He further elaborated, “He is apprehensive about unwarranted intrusion from photographers.”
Concerns About Media Intrusion
The royal expert highlighted Harry’s apprehension, noting, “He believes taking his children outside their Montecito residence would result in swarms of photographers attempting to capture their images. This perception, however, may be overstated.”
Meghan’s More Public Approach
Conversely, Wilkinson suggested Meghan Markle, with her California upbringing, may hold a different perspective. He noted, “Markle, having expressed a desire for a California-style lifestyle, may be more inclined to include their children in public outings and activities, such as beach visits. She seemingly does not favor completely shielding them from public life.”
Limited Visibility of Archie and Lilibet
Wilkinson observed the approach taken with public appearances of the children thus far. “We have increasingly seen glimpses of Lilibet and Archie; however, their faces are often obscured or not fully visible in shared images,” he pointed out.
Recent Images and Public Appearances
In recent months, Meghan Markle has shared photographs of their children, often photographed from behind. Notably, Princess Lilibet was featured in an image shared in February to promote the launch of Markle’s lifestyle brand, As Ever. Another image showed Lilibet with Prince Harry on a boat, shared on International Women’s Day, and a separate image showed her with Serena Williams in March.
Sussexes’ Christmas Card Inclusion
Both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were featured in the Sussexes’ 2024 Christmas card, which depicted the siblings running towards their parents, offering a rare public glimpse of the young royals.
Balancing Brand and Motherhood
Wilkinson offered an interpretation of Markle’s approach: “One could argue that Meghan is not necessarily exploiting her children, but rather, perhaps, utilizing their image to promote her brand. She is, undeniably, a mother and homemaker.”
Netflix Series and Children’s Absence
Wilkinson also referenced Markle’s Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” noting that while one episode depicted preparations for a children’s party, the children themselves were not featured in the program.
Differing Parental Views?
“I personally don’t object to her sharing images of the children,” Wilkinson stated, before adding, “However, it’s plausible that Harry may harbor some reservations regarding this level of public exposure.”
Requests for Comment
Representatives for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been contacted for comments on these reported differences in approach.
Markle’s Recent Comments on Children
Alongside sharing images, Meghan Markle has recently made infrequent remarks about her children while promoting her Netflix show and lifestyle venture.
British Accents in Montecito
During a recent appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” she revealed that Archie and Lilibet have adopted elements of Prince Harry’s British accent, despite being raised in California. She recounted, “Certain words they still pronounce with a British inflection, for example, z-e-b-r-a. They have these instances where British pronunciation emerges, contrasting with their predominantly American accents; they use words just as Harry does.”
“Adorable” Linguistic Influence
“I find it utterly charming,” Markle concluded, regarding the subtle British influence on her children’s speech.