Meghan Markle is reportedly concerned that Britain may be a “longed-for fantasy” for her son Prince Archie as he gets older, a royal expert has claimed. While Archie, now six, was born in Britain, he has spent most of his life in Montecito, California, where his parents Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, relocated in 2020 after quitting royal life.
Although the family are now very settled in California, living on a sprawling Montecito estate, a royal expert claimed last year that Meghan is concerned that Archie will become more and more interested in Britain as he gets older, especially when he finds out more about his royal connections, including the fact his grandfather is King. It is not known whether the Duchess has these same fears for her and Harry’s daughter Princess Lilibet, who is only four.
It is believed that Meghan’s “fear” of this is one of the reasons she has not wanted King Charles, 76, to ever send her children extravagant presents, although it is not clear whether he sent any this year, especially after Prince Harry claimed he was not on talking terms with his father in May.
Speaking to The Mirror last year, royal author and commentator Tom Quinn said: “Archie loves the idea that his grandad lives in a castle and Meghan was worried that a magnificent shepherd’s hut or similar extravagant present will only increase Archie’s growing interest in his royal connections.
“She doesn’t want Britain to become a longed-for fantasy for her son so she had been pushing Harry to insist that his father get Archie a simple present.”
Quinn also said that Archie has books about “kings, princesses and castles” and knows his grandfather has castles.
It is believed both Meghan and Harry’s children have not visited the UK since 2022, with no plans for them to return to the country anytime soon.
This is because Harry believes the UK is unsafe for his children ever since his UK taxpayer-funded security got downgraded in 2020 when he stepped back from life as a senior working royal.
In an interview with the BBC in May after losing his UK court appeal over these security rights, Harry said: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
Prince Harry and Meghan’s children still hold royal titles despite living in America, with this decision believed to be the case as Harry reportedly wants them to decide whether or not to become involved in royal life when they are older.
At the moment, it is believed that Archie and Lilibet know very little about their royal relatives in the UK, having missed out on relationships with many of them since living across the pond.