Meghan Markle’s Kids: Everything to Know About Archie and Lilibet
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, and her husband Prince Harry are parents to two children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the couple has built a private family life in Montecito, California, while still occasionally sharing glimpses of their children’s milestones with the public. This article covers everything currently known about Meghan Markle’s kids, from their birth stories and names to their titles, personalities, and the family’s ongoing effort to protect their privacy.
Who Are Meghan Markle’s Children?
Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child, Archie, in 2019, followed by their daughter Lilibet in 2021. Both children were born after the couple’s 2018 royal wedding, and both have grown up largely outside the traditional royal spotlight, thanks to Harry and Meghan’s decision to step away from official royal roles.
Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Archie was born on May 6, 2019, in London, making him the couple’s first child. His full name, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, blends a modern, approachable first name with the Mountbatten-Windsor surname used by descendants of Queen Elizabeth II. <cite index=”1-1″>When Archie turned 7 on May 6, 2026, Meghan shared a photo of a newborn Archie sleeping on Harry’s chest alongside a more recent photo of Archie outdoors with his sister, captioning the post, “7 years later…happy birthday to our sweet boy.”</cite>
Archie’s early life was split between the UK and the United States, as the family relocated to California in 2020. He has largely been kept out of public appearances, though his parents periodically share updates about his personality and interests.
Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
Lilibet, often called “Lili” by her parents, is Meghan and Harry’s second child. <cite index=”1-1″>Harry and Meghan’s youngest child, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born June 4, 2021.</cite> <cite index=”1-1″>Her name is a tribute to her late grandmother, Princess Diana, and her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname was “Lilibet.”</cite>
Lilibet was born in California, making her one of the first members of the extended royal family to be born outside the United Kingdom in modern times. Like her brother, she has largely been shielded from public view, with her parents choosing to reveal only occasional, carefully curated glimpses of her life.
Titles: Prince and Princess of Sussex
Although Archie and Lilibet were not automatically given royal titles at birth, their status changed following a shift in the royal family’s structure. <cite index=”8-1″>Though Archie and Lili didn’t receive the titles of prince and princess at the time of their births, because the late Queen Elizabeth was their great-grandmother and only grandchildren are immediately given titles, they started using the titles after their grandfather King Charles became monarch in 2022.</cite> <cite index=”8-1″>Stemming from Harry and Meghan’s titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the children are officially known as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, and the family has since adopted Sussex as a surname in everyday use.</cite>
This means that, despite living a relatively private and distinctly Californian lifestyle, both children hold formal royal titles recognized within the British monarchy’s structure.
How Meghan and Harry Protect Their Children’s Privacy
One of the defining features of Archie and Lilibet’s upbringing has been their parents’ consistent effort to shield them from media exposure. <cite index=”1-1″>Since stepping away from their royal roles in 2020, Harry and Meghan have worked to protect their children’s privacy, including shielding their faces from the public eye.</cite>
Faces Rarely Shown in Public Photos
When the couple does share family photos, Meghan Markle’s Kids faces are frequently obscured, cropped out, or shown only from behind. <cite index=”8-1″>The couple has mostly kept their children out of the public eye for privacy reasons, typically only sharing photos and videos that hide their faces, including their 2024 Christmas card and Lili’s 2025 debut on Meghan’s lifestyle website As Ever.</cite> A more recent family photo series followed this same pattern. <cite index=”3-1″>In one photo from a springtime Instagram post, Harry, wearing a gray “Girl Dad” T-shirt, can be seen playing with Archie and an oversized soccer ball on a grassy field, while in another, Lilibet is seen wearing a cream-colored Beyoncé-themed T-shirt, with both children’s faces hidden in the images.</cite>
Advocacy Around Children’s Digital Safety
Meghan and Harry have translated their personal approach to privacy into broader advocacy work. <cite index=”8-1″>In 2024, the couple launched a program through their charity, Archewell Foundation, to support parents whose kids have been affected by online harm.</cite> This reflects a recurring theme in the family’s public messaging: concern about how growing up online, and under public scrutiny, can affect children’s wellbeing.
Speaking about her children’s use of technology at a public appearance, Meghan offered a rare, direct comment on the subject. <cite index=”7-1″>While accepting an award in New York City, Meghan noted that Archie and Lilibet were “just 6 and 4 years old” at the time, adding that they were “still too young for social media,” but that she knew “that day is coming.”</cite>
Milestones and Family Moments
While the children’s day-to-day lives remain largely private, several notable family milestones have been shared publicly over the years.
Meeting Their Royal Relatives
For much of their early childhood, Archie and Lilibet had limited in-person contact with the wider royal family due to the geographic and relational distance between the Sussexes and the UK-based royals. That changed in the summer of 2026. <cite index=”1-1″>In July, Harry and Meghan visited the United Kingdom with Archie and Lilibet, and the family of four met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, marking the first time the royals are known to have seen their grandchildren since 2022.</cite> <cite index=”4-1″>The visit marked the family’s first trip to England together in four years, and came after Harry reportedly worked to secure private security for his family following the U.K. government’s refusal of police protection.</cite>
A Growing Bond Between Siblings
Meghan has occasionally spoken about the relationship between her two children, particularly how Archie adjusted to becoming a big brother. <cite index=”9-1″>She has said that Archie “loves being a big brother,” noting that people often talk about what it’s like for a second child joining a family, but rarely discuss the adjustment for the older sibling.</cite>
Appearances in Documentaries and Shows
The children have made brief, carefully managed appearances in projects tied to their parents’ media work. <cite index=”5-1″>Meghan’s Netflix lifestyle series has included several references to her children, including stories about making balloon arches for Archie’s birthday and growing golden berries at home because “my son loves them.”</cite> Earlier Netflix projects, including the couple’s 2022 docuseries, also featured limited footage of the family together.
Mother’s Day and Birthday Tributes
Meghan Markle’s Kids regularly marks important family dates with social media tributes, often including glimpses of her children without fully revealing their faces. <cite index=”6-1″>In a Mother’s Day post, Lilibet and Archie’s red hair could be seen as they climbed what the family calls “Mama Mountain” at their home in Montecito, with Meghan calling motherhood the “greatest privilege” of her life.</cite>
A Life Rooted in Montecito
Since relocating from the UK, the Sussex family has settled into a home base in Montecito, California, where Archie and Lilibet are being raised away from the traditional structures of royal life. The move has allowed the children a degree of anonymity that would have been far harder to maintain within the UK’s intense royal media environment.
Family activities referenced by Meghan in interviews and her lifestyle show, from gardening and cooking to simple outdoor play, suggest a household focused on everyday routines rather than public duty. This lifestyle choice appears to be a deliberate extension of the couple’s broader decision to prioritize their children’s normalcy and privacy over public visibility.
Timeline of Key Moments
- 2018: Meghan Markle’s Kids and Prince Harry marry, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
- 2019: Archie is born in London on May 6.
- 2020: The family steps back from royal duties and relocates to the United States.
- 2021: Lilibet is born in California on June 4.
- 2022: Archie and Lilibet begin using their formal titles, Prince and Princess of Sussex, following King Charles III’s ascension to the throne.
- 2024: The family launches an online-safety initiative through Archewell Foundation; Archie and Lilibet appear (faces hidden) in the family’s Christmas card.
- 2025: Lilibet makes her debut appearance on Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever.
- 2026: Archie turns 7; the family travels to the UK, where Archie and Lilibet reunite with King Charles III and Queen Camilla for the first time since 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old are Meghan Markle’s children? Archie was born in 2019 and turned 7 in May 2026. Lilibet was born in 2021 and turned 4 in 2025.
Do Archie and Lilibet have royal titles? Yes. Since 2022, both children have used the titles Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, following King Charles III becoming monarch.
Why do Meghan and Harry hide their children’s faces in photos? The couple has cited privacy concerns as their primary reason for limiting public exposure of their children, a stance they’ve also extended into advocacy for children’s online safety.
Where do Archie and Lilibet live? The family lives in Montecito, California, where they relocated after stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Final Thoughts
Prince Archie and Meghan Markle’s Kids occupy a distinctive place in modern royal history: formally titled members of the British monarchy who are, by their parents’ design, growing up largely away from the public eye. As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry continue to balance their public platforms with a strong emphasis on family privacy, the children’s lives are likely to remain a careful mix of rare, curated glimpses and a mostly private, California-based childhood.
