From the time they started dating, it became clear that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry weren't going to do things the traditional way, and that's only become more obvious as time went on — especially once they were married, started their family, and eventually made the hard decision to walk away from their jobs as senior working members of the royal family. Now that they're Archie's parents, there's no doubt in our minds they both believe that being his mom and dad is their most important job, and based on their actions so far, it seems like their parenting styles set them apart from the other royal parents.
Between insisting on Archie's privacy from the day he was born to choosing to go with less staff and being super hands-on to even leaving royal life and Europe altogether, Meghan and Harry have already made some major parenting moves that have blown us away, and they seem to be the best choices for their family so far.
Read on for all the ways Meghan and Harry's parenting styles are different from royal tradition. That's not to knock Prince William and Kate Middleton's parenting decisions at all. They're awesome parents to George, Charlotte, and Louis, who are all so loved and cared for. But the way Archie is being raised is so different from their cousins, and so far, Harry and Meghan seem to be doing everything they can to ensure that continues.
Harry Is a Hands-On Dad
Harry always knew the kind of dad he wanted to be! Going all the way back to his April 2017 appearance on The Telegraph's podcast, he said he wanted to be an involved father, especially when that meant playing video games with his future children.
"I think the key to that is growing up, but also to be able to stay in touch with your childhood side," he said at the time, according to Us Weekly. "If that means going to someone’s house and sitting there and playing PlayStation and kicking the a– of their son on whatever it is, then I’ll try and do that. I’ve actually had a lot of practice for that."
Privacy From the Start
Right from Archie's birth, we knew that Harry and Meghan were going to parent Archie very differently. Instead of sharing Archie with the world as soon as he was born outside of the Lindo Wing like Kate has done with her children's births, Meghan took her time, enjoying his first few days to herself before having a much more low-key public introduction involving her son and a few select members of the press when she was ready.
The Royal Exit
The fact that Meghan and Harry decided to make a royal exit at all means that they're already choosing to raise Archie in a much less traditional way. It's pretty clear they're looking to give him as much privacy as possible while raising him, which is definitely different than what Will and Kate have chosen to do with their kids. It doesn't mean either choice is wrong — just different.
Selective About What They Share
It's not often that we get a glimpse of Archie that Meghan and Harry have chosen to share with the public, but when they do, it's always worth it. Exhibit A: this video of Meghan reading to Archie that they shared in honor of his first birthday. It was super sweet and showed how much he loves reading with his parents while also honoring the privacy they've made a priority for him.
Don't Leave Archie for Very Long
Although some royal parents — or even super busy parents with hectic careers — may have to leave their kids behind for days at a time because of their work schedules, that just doesn't work for Meghan and Harry, especially not Meghan. As a source told Us Weekly, Meghan just can't handle leaving him for very long.
"Even though [Meghan] has an amazing nanny, she hates leaving him at home for more than a couple of days," the insider said last year when the couple was gearing up for their tour of South Africa. "It's likely that Archie will only be present on certain safer parts of the trip, such as South Africa, leaving Harry and Meghan to travel by themselves to engagements in other countries."
Archie Doesn't Have a Title
Even though all of the other royal children have titles, Archie does not — and that was obviously a strategic move made by Meghan and Harry, who want their son to grow up as normally as possible. In fact, "normal" seems to be the overarching theme when it comes to the childhood these two are aiming for for Archie, and so far, they seem to be achieving that goal.
Always Want Archie To Be Comfortable
No baby really travels light, but that goes double from Archie. According to what royal correspondent Omid Scobie told the Heir Pod, during the family's trip to South Africa, Meghan and Harry made sure Archie had all the comforts of home with him so he'd have the happiest trip possible.
"I heard there were a lot of toys that they brought with him," Scobie said at the time, via Us Weekly. "Just all the things that make him feel like he hasn't gone anywhere, because you want to keep him comfortable the whole time. That's why Meghan stayed with him in South Africa rather than join Harry on his travels."
Skipping Out on Having a Night Nurse
Although it's far less common in most nonroyal households to have a night nurse, Harry and Meghan reportedly started out having help with Archie overnight so they could get more sleep. But after they fired the first nurse for not being professional and attempted to hire a second, they put the kibosh on the whole idea entirely.
"The new parents went on to hire a second night nurse, who did a fine job, but because of the incident with the first nurse, neither found themselves comfortable sleeping through the night without going to check on Archie regularly," Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in Finding Freedom: The Making of a Modern Royal Family. "After a few weeks, they decided to take on nights themselves and went without a night nurse entirely."
Lives Revolve Around Archie
No matter what's going on in their lives, Meghan and Harry always keep Archie at the forefront of their minds — even on their own special days. Case in point: Meghan's birthday last year, which was her first as a mom, and which she reportedly planned on spending quietly with her little guy. It had to be such a special day for her.
Don't Buy Extravagant Gifts
Around the holiday season last year, a source told Us Weekly that Meghan and Harry didn't go for big, expensive gifts for Archie, instead opting to keep it simple.
"Archie is Meghan and Harry's world, and they can't help [it]," the source said at the time. "For Christmas, they bought him books, building blocks, a baby ball pit. It's not all about extravagant gifts for them."
Super Chill & Laid Back
Last year, we found out after the fact that during Meghan's maternity leave, Meghan and Harry had taken Archie to a pub to enjoy a little normalcy as a family out in Windsor. And apparently, Archie slept the whole time! This is something we'd expect any parents to do with their baby, and it's pretty impressive Meghan and Harry were able to pull it off.
Harry Does All the Dirty Work
In August 2019, a source told Us Weekly that Harry "doesn't mind getting his hands dirty" when it comes to carry for his son. He was all about getting up in the middle of the night when Archie needed him, was always willing to change diapers, never minded cleaning up spit-up, and was ready to do all of this and more without Meghan ever having to ask.
Harry Sings Archie to Sleep
In the same report, the source said Harry has become a big part of Archie's bedtime routine, offering up his musical talents — or lack thereof — to lull his son to sleep. "Harry's tone-deaf, and he knows it. But that doesn’t stop him from singing Archie to sleep," the source said.
OK, that's way too adorable.
Meghan Loves To Show Archie Nature
Considering how much Meghan loves the outdoors, it's no surprise she dedicates a lot of her time to taking Archie out in nature — something she may not be able to do if she was still a working royal. And when she and Harry were on sabattical in Canada, a source told Us Weekly that she took Archie on a walk daily.
"Meghan takes a walk with Archie every single day through the woods," the insider said. "She either pushes him in a stroller through the paved trails through the public woods by their home or straps him on and walks the more rustic routes. The walks usually last around an hour or two, but she takes them daily."
Harry Wanted To Protect Archie
As sources close to the royals told Us Weekly, Harry and Meghan's choice to move to the US and walk away from royal life was heavily influenced by the negative press they were receiving in the UK and the need to shield Archie from that — something that other royals haven't seemed to deal with as they parent.
"[Harry] knows what it's like to grow up in the spotlight, and he wants to give Archie the most normal upbringing possible," one of the sources said.
