As Prince Archie Turns 7, Prince Harry Embraces a Parenting Priority Shaped by His Own Upbringing (Exclusive)
As Prince Archie Turns 7, Prince Harry Embraces a Parenting Priority Shaped by His Own Upbringing (Exclusive)
Janine Henni, Erin HillWed, May 6, 2026 at 6:52 PM UTC
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Prince Harry, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet and Meghan Markle in the Sussex family's 2025 holiday card
Credit: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex/Instagram
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are raising Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 4, with an emphasis on giving them the space to “be themselves”
A source tells PEOPLE that approach is “really important” to Harry, who grew up in the public eye
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are “really thriving” in California, a source adds in a recent PEOPLE cover story
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are giving their children the space to be themselves — a parenting priority shaped by Harry’s own experience growing up in the spotlight.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are parents to daughter Princess Lilibet, 4, and son Prince Archie, who turned 7 on May 6.
As Archie celebrates his birthday, a close source tells PEOPLE that the couple is intentional about allowing their children to grow into their own identities.
"They give their kids space to be themselves — for their different personalities to flourish," the source says. "After growing up so publicly, that was really important to Harry."
Prince Harry, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet and Meghan Markle in the Sussex family's 2025 holiday card.
Credit: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex/Instagram
Harry was raised under intense public scrutiny as the younger son of future King Charles and Princess Diana, an experience that has continued to shape how he approaches parenthood today.
At an event hosted by Movember during the couple’s four-day trip to Australia in April, Harry spoke candidly about wanting to do things differently.
“I see parenting evolving over time,” he said. “Our kids are our upgrade. Not to say that I upgraded my dad or that my kids upgraded me, but the kids that we bring up in today's world need to be upgraded."
“There’s no judgement, there’s no blame,” he continued. “However you are parenting… you are going to want to improve on that.”
Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles in London in 1994.
Credit: Terry Fincher/Getty
Harry also emphasized the role therapy has played in preparing him for fatherhood, sharing that he began working through his past before becoming a parent.
“Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids,” he said. “I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with.”
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Decades after growing up in the royal spotlight, Prince Harry, 41, along with his wife, Meghan, 44, stepped back from their royal roles in the U.K. in 2020 and moved to California, where they are raising their children today.
Insiders shared more about the family's private world in a recent PEOPLE cover story, which explored Harry and Meghan's lives now and the impact of their trip to Australia in April.
"They love their home and their community," a source says of the Sussexes' life in Montecito.
"The kids are really thriving," they added about Archie and Lilibet.
Prince Harry, Prince Archie, Meghan Markle and Princess Lilibet at Disneyland in June 2025.
Credit: Meghan Markle /Instagram
Prince Archie is ringing in his 7th birthday on Wednesday and Meghan marked the milestone of her son's special day in an Instagram post in May 2025.
"Our son. Our sun. Happy 6th birthday to Archie!" she wrote in a post shared on Archie's 6th birthday last year. The tribute came with a new photo that showed Archie standing on an oceanfront balcony and looking out at the bright sun.
"Thank you for all of the love, prayers, and warm wishes for our sweet boy. He's six! Where did the time go?" Meghan continued the caption.
Prince Archie in a photo that Meghan Markle posted on May 6, 2025.
Credit: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex/Instagram
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"(And for all of you who came to celebrate with us at his party last weekend, thank you for making his birthday so incredibly special ❤️)," she added, shouting out their inner circle.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
