Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children have resided in the United States since January 2020, when the couple stepped down as senior working members of the royal family. They relocated to California, where Markle grew up, and now have a home in Montecito. The family of four lead largely private lives (at least by comparison if they were still in England) at their home in the ‘Golden State’, but they made a public appearance this weekend that drew a lot of attention.
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On Tuesday July 4, Prince Harry attended a local Independence Day parade with his daughter, Princess Lilibet, 2. Close-ups show the Duke of Sussex wearing a baseball cap – a nod to America’s favorite pastime – and his [apparently] The patriotic little girl wore a ruffled blue dress, white knee socks (how cute!) and red shoes. Her red hair was in pigtails and tied back with blue clips, and her father held her and snuggled up to the toddler. The whole thing was just too adorable to deal with. Shortly after, Meghan Markle and Prince Archie, 4, were seen in distant snaps crouching next to Prince Harry and Princess Lilibet. Given the family’s looks (see photos HERE) and Princess Lilibet’s outfit, it’s clear that the royals do indeed consider the US their home.
This sighting was a rarity
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – like many celebrities – are doing their best to keep their children out of the limelight.
“We were very conscious of protecting our children as best we could and also understanding the role they play in this truly historic family,” Markle said on the Netflix documentaries of her and Harry. Harry agreed, saying, “As a father and as a parent, I think consent is a really important factor in that. If you have children, you should be comfortable with what you share.”
season of celebrations
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Exactly one month before this parade, on June 4th, the Sussexes celebrated Princess Lilibet’s second birthday. People were surprised when the royal family didn’t release a formal happy birthday message in honor of the toddler. However, a palace source said there has “never been any protocol” for birthday news to be published on “official channels”.
King Charles III was reportedly planning to give the young queen a gift that would mean more to her than a generic tweet. If the sources are correct, the monarch gave her a special playhouse inspired by Lilibet.
Special gifts galore
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Prince Archie celebrated his 4th birthday in May and also received a loving birthday present. A local business owner gave the young prince a bicycle with training wheels. In early June, the business owner received a special thank you letter from Harry and Meghan.
“On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, please accept your sincere thanks for the thoughtful gift you have sent to Prince Archie on his fourth birthday,” the Duke’s office said in a statement and the Duchess of Sussex. “The bike was a lot of fun and is very much appreciated by the family.”
