Archie officially turned 2 years old on May 6, 2021, and he's now lived more than half his life in America. His parents, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, stepped down as senior royals in early 2020, and since then they've been enjoying a private life in Los Angeles. But location isn't the only way Archie's childhood has so far been vastly different than his royal cousins' upbringings. As Archie continues to get older, the gap between his life and those of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will only widen.
Some of these differences may be for the better. Archie will have a lot more freedom to just be a regular kid than his cousins do, since they're in training to be working royals. But he'll also miss out on some special royal traditions that the other royal kids may take for granted.
Here are all the ways Archie's childhood could differ from the Cambridge kids' lives.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
He Doesn't Have a Title
We now know that it was a controversial decision for the royal family to not give Archie a title. Originally, it sounded like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to give him one to let him lead a more normal life. But in their Oprah Winfrey interview, the Sussexes said it was never an option for him to have a title, something that sets him apart from his cousins, who go by prince or princess.
He Missed His Balcony Debut
It's tradition to see the little royals waving from the Buckingham Palace balcony for major events like the Trooping the Colour. But Archie's parents exited the monarchy before he got a chance to make his big debut up there. Now he likely never will. We'll just have to keep an eye out for the Cambridge kids at these events instead.
And He'll Skip Most Royal Events in General
Living in the US, Archie can't just zip back to England for a random palace event. And his parents probably won't want him attending stuffy gatherings like galas or dinner parties anyway. Perhaps we'll one day see Archie at a royal wedding for one of Harry's close family members, but aside from that, there's no need for him to attend these kinds of events. After all, he's not in training to be a working royal like his cousins are.
No Pressure for Public Updates
Although Kate and William mostly keep their children's lives private, there are several occasions when the media expects updates — and the Cambridges deliver them. They post new photos on the children's birthdays, first day of school, and Christmas, at the minimum. That way, the public can stay up to date on how the little ones are doing.
People still want to see how Archie is growing up, but Meghan and Harry are under no obligation to give anyone details.
But Archie Will Have To Deal With the Paparazzi
The royals have a kind of understanding with the press when it comes to children. The paparazzi don't hound Kate, William, and their kids at their home or when they're in private. That's because the Cambridges provide public access on a fairly regular schedule. But because Harry and Meghan keep Archie's life so private, people want to know about him that much more. And paparazzi in America don't care about established boundaries. The Sussexes have already had to deal with things like people flying drones over their house to snap a picture.
A Casual Wardrobe Is Fine
A recent paparazzi photo of Archie with Meghan showed the toddler wearing a trendy outfit. He was spotted in cuffed jeans, a sweatshirt, and a beanie. We would probably never see one of the Cambridge kids dressed like this. For one, when we see them at events, they're usually wearing formal clothes. But even when we spot them in more casual settings, they're still usually in things like collared shirts and nice sweaters.
Including All the Pants He Wants
The biggest wardrobe change for Archie is that he can wear pants whenever he wants. Royal boys are usually expected to wear shorts until they're around 7. William and Kate have occasionally broken this rule for George and Louis, but for the most part, they've adhered. But as we saw in the paparazzi photo, Harry and Meghan already let 2-year-old Archie wear long jeans.
No Royal Tours
We have no doubt that Archie will travel the world with his parents, but he'll get to do it in private and not while on display for a royal tour. He's actually already been on one tour — to South Africa — and it was likely his last now that his parents don't represent the Crown. George, Charlotte, and Louis are used to joining their parents for various trips, but it must be more fun to vacation without any of the pressure that the Cambridges might feel to put on a good show for the locals.
He May Get Into American Sports
At one of Archie's very first outings, he attended a polo match that his father was playing in. But now that the Sussexes live in LA, their polo days might be scarce. While horse racing, polo, and soccer are big in Britain, Americans tend to be more focused on sports like football, basketball, and baseball. Will little Archie grow up playing these sports in school and watching them on TV while his royal cousins attend yet another polo match? It's possible!
He Won't Be Close With Half His Family
The Cambridge children are surrounded by their family. They have the royal side, with their Grandpa Charles and great-grandma Queen Elizabeth. But they're also close to Kate's family, particularly her parents and siblings. Now that Archie is living in California, he'll have a lot of time with Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, but that's about it.
Archie hasn't been back to England since his parents left in early 2020, and he's only met his cousins one time that we know of — at the polo match. By virtue of physical distance, he was always going to be a little on the outs of his royal side, but the unresolved tension between Harry and his family won't help Archie feel closer.
He Doesn't Need To Learn To Bow
Here's a bonus of Archie's nonroyal life and not seeing his royal family — he doesn't really need to learn how to bow. Typically, children are expected to curtsy or bow to show respect to family members such as the Queen, but Archie's not around those people and their strict protocols anymore. He can just be a regular kid.
No Etiquette Lessons Either
The royals take their protocol seriously, so it's not surprising that even little ones reportedly get etiquette training. According to etiquette expert Myka Meier: "training for the royals starts as soon as they're old enough to sit at a table. They are raised having formal meals, going to formal events, and practicing everything from voice levels to dressing appropriately to even, of course, how to curtsy and bow."
Now Archie gets to skip those — probably pretty boring — lessons.
He Can Play Monopoly
Reportedly, the board game is banned in the royal family. As Prince Andrew said: "We are not allowed to play Monopoly at home. It gets too vicious." It's these kinds of arbitrary rules that Archie is lucky to miss out on. And hey, if he one day wants to eat garlic or shellfish, he can do that, too.
And Even Open Gifts on Christmas
Usually, the royal children open their presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day, according to German tradition. It's possible that Harry will keep up that tradition in LA, but now that they're in the US, it would make more sense for them to follow the Christmas Day gifts tradition. That way, Archie will fit in with his American friends.
He May Grow Up with an American Accent
Sure, Prince Harry has a British accent, but Archie will grow up exposed to mostly American accents through his mom, his Grandma Doria, and his friends and teachers. It's pretty likely that he'll learn to have an American accent as he talks more. We kind of can't wait to get to hear that one day.
