International travel, famous godparents, expensive education, and a decadent first birthday party.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's two children are living pretty lavish lives already.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first child, son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor,
was born in May 2019. He quickly became very familiar with life as a British royal when he
joined his parents on their tour throughout South Africa that same year. Archie was only
4 months old at the time, but that didn't stop him from meeting anti-apartheid activist
Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the tour. The Duchess of Sussex spoke about how important
the interaction was during the ITV documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey," saying,
While Archie's time in South Africa was filled with special moments,
he also faced peril when a heater caught on fire in his nursery while he was downstairs
with a nanny. During an August 2022 episode of Meghan's "Archetypes" podcast, the duchess
revealed that she'd been understandably startled by the incident, but that she was still expected
to attend engagements immediately after the fire. As Meghan said on the podcast,
Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor's first birthday in June 2022 wasn't what you'd expect of the
typical one-year-old. For starters, Lilibet spent part of her day meeting with Queen Elizabeth
II. This birthday interaction was special because it was the first time Lilibet had
met her great-grandmother, the queen. An anonymous source spoke to Us Weekly about the event, saying,
According to People, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry worked with World Central Kitchen for
their daughter's special day. This organization provides meals to communities facing crisis,
and over $100,000 in donations were made in the one-year-old's honor.
On a more low-key and personal note, the Sussexes and their loved ones celebrated
the baby's birthday with a picnic party held in the backyard of Frogmore Cottage.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's status means that even their kids' godparents are famous.
For example, Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor's godfather is filmmaker Tyler Perry. The
Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" tells the story of how Perry became part of the family.
"I just wanted to do anything I could to support them."
When Meghan was facing intense criticism from U.K. tabloids in 2019, she and Harry took a break in
Canada. Having only ever communicated with him via email, the mom of two finally phoned Perry
to vent about the stressful situation, as she explained in "Harry & Meghan,"
"And I was just a wreck. I was just crying and crying."
The family then finalized their decision to leave the U.K., and it seems that Perry
supported them every step of the way. Meghan shared that the comedian offered
to allow her family to stay in his home in Los Angeles. He also provided them with security,
which they lost after they were no longer working members of the royal family. Perry's
acts of kindness led the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to ask him to be Lilibet's godfather.
Although it seems that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are teaching Archie and Lilibet
about remaining humble, many aspects of their lives are still quite luxurious. The family's
multi-million-dollar Montecito, California home isn't exactly the most modest residence. Love
Property reported that Harry and Meghan purchased the home in 2020 for $14.7 million. The property
consists of nine bedrooms, an arcade, a movie theater, a playground, and much more. It appears
that there are plenty of kid-friendly amenities to keep Lilibet and Archie entertained, too.
In case you were wondering, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex don't actually
live in the home featured in the interview segments of their "Harry & Meghan'' Netflix
docuseries. That house is actually owned by businessman Mark Schulhof,
who originally purchased the property for $14.6 million. Now back on the market for $33.5 million,
the mansion has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and sits on more than 2 acres.
Harry and Meghan haven't stated why they decided not to film in their actual home,
but it seems likely that this may be due to privacy and safety concerns.
Like many royal kids, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor likely won't ever
attend a typical public school. In fact, an anonymous source shared details on the
impressive curriculum at Archie's preschool. While speaking to the Mirror in early 2022,
the source revealed that the school teaches subjects such as emotional literacy,
sustainability, and mindfulness. The insider also claimed that students learn about gardening,
and that there are fruit trees, plants, and wildlife scattered throughout the campus.
Although this does not appear to be anything like the average preschool, Prince Harry and Meghan
Markle reportedly aren't much different from the average parents, with a source telling the Mirror,
During an interview with The Cut in August 2022, Meghan shared that because her kids
are being raised in the U.S., she's able to be involved in their schooling without
a media frenzy. The school's values certainly seem to fall in line with those the Sussexes
have been teaching their children at home. Of Archie, Meghan told The Cut,