Friend Of Meghan & Harry Posts Photo Of Archie To Celebrate His 4th Birthday

May 09, 2023

Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially left their posts as members of the royal family, the public has been incredibly interested in how they will choose to live their lives. While we now know more about their daily goings on, the same can't be said for their two children — Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. 

However, one thing we do know is that Archie celebrated his 4th birthday on May 6, 2023. Despite choosing to keep their only son out of the public eye, the Sussexes have given the public glimpses of their firstborn on multiple occasions. From these moments, we've come to learn a few things about the young prince — notably, his adorable resemblance to both of his parents! In celebration of his 4th birthday, let's take a look at Prince Archie of Sussex's family resemblance.

Born on May 6, 2019, almost one year to the day of his parents' first wedding anniversary, Archie has been keeping eager royal fans interested in him. In his short life so far, the young prince has moved around a lot. Born in the UK, less than a year after his birth, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex formally renounced their official titles and stepped down as working royals. The young family then moved around: first to Vancouver Island for a few months before settling down in Markle's home state of California, moving first to Los Angeles, then Montecito, Santa Barbara for some more privacy.

In honor of Archie's 4th birthday on May 6, 2023, one of Meghan and Harry's friends took to Instagram to post a photo of the youngster. Read on to learn more and see the photo for yourself.

In Archie's first months, it became clear to royal watchers that he and Harry had obvious similarities, most obviously, with hints of red in Archie's hair. According to a People Magazine article from August 2019, a source had already predicted this, as they spoke of Archie's "tufts of reddish hair" even back then.

In September 2019, during Meghan and Harry’s last royal tour, Archie made his debut royal engagement in South Africa when he and his parents met Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe. With Archie smiling and being mischievous for the cameras, it's safe to say the little guy stole the show! 

At only 4 months old, it was already clear that the little tot bore a striking resemblance to his famous father. Dressed in blue-and-white striped overalls, a long-sleeved white shirt and socks, Archie sat in Meghan's lap as his parents discussed the Archbishop and his wife's organization, The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.

A few months later, the Sussexes took to their Instagram account to post a video looking back at 2019 for the family, which featured a close shot of Archie being held by his dad in Canada. The two were pictured in front of a lake, bundled up in warm winter clothes as the doting dad smiled at baby Archie, who was sporting an adorable double pom-pom gray beanie. The facial similarities to his dad Harry were evident — notably Archie's cheeks, face shape and hair. 

But the family similarities aren't only from Harry's side — Meghan also has an influence, notably her eyes and nose. 

In fact, mere days after Archie's birth in 2019, his parents said that after being asked which one of them Archie takes after more, they were "still trying to figure that out," according to Harper's Bazaar. 

In the same interview, Harry added that "his looks are changing every single day, so who knows." Clearly, both parents have an influence, and it seems to vary which parent he resembles more as time goes on. 

Over time, Archie's resemblance to his mom has also been spotted by eagle-eyed royal fans. In the fifth episode of Harry's Apple TV series co-produced with Oprah Winfrey, "The Me You Can't See," released in May 2021, never-before-seen footage of Archie swinging on a hanging bench alongside his father revealed a resemblance to Meghan.

Twitter user Julieth posted a side-by-side comparison of a baby photo of Meghan along with Archie, and it is quite clear that the toddler has taken after his beautiful mom! She captioned her post, "Archie been looking a lot like Meghan."

Other users certainly agreed with this, with one user commenting that they "always" saw the resemblance. "I have always said that Archie looks like his mother from the first time we saw him at the photo call. He's a mini Meghan with his curly and wavy hair," they wrote. Other users also commented that Archie was Meghan's twin.

Meanwhile, another person also saw that Archie's face resembled both his parents, as they said:

"I think he is changing from Harry to Meghan's faces at the moment. I can't wait to see which face will finally stick."

“The Me You Can’t See” also featured candid discussions with celebrities, such as Lady Gaga and Glen Close, among others, as they talked about mental health. On May 17, 2021, the trailer for the show was released, and it featured some personal footage of Harry. The footage included Harry at his mother's funeral as a boy, along with clips of Meghan with their little son Archie. The glimpse at Meghan and Harry's firstborn son in the trailer was a surprise appearance. 

Harry also opened up about his family while speaking on the series, and Hello! Magazine reported that during the fifth episode, Harry speaks about Archie's first words and the impact they had on him. Harry and Meghan were both present for the episode wherein they revealed smaller details about their life in California.

Harry said that Archie's nursery has a photo of Princess Diana hanging on his wall, and he shared, "I got a photo of her in his nursery, and it was one of the first words that he said — apart from 'mama,' 'papa,' it was then 'grandma.' Grandma Diana."

He continued, "It's the sweetest thing, but at the same time, it makes me really sad because she should be here."

Previously, Harry had revealed to James Corden on "The Late Late Show" that Archie's first word was "crocodile." He told Corden about Archie, "He's got the most amazing personality. He's already putting three or four words together, he's already singing songs."

According to PEOPLE, Harry also opened up about how losing Diana impacted him. "I wish she could've met Meghan," he said. "I wish she was around for Archie."

Despite being one of the most famous children in the world, we don't know too much about Archie's personality or, until somewhat recently, even how he spoke. But that all changed in 2022 after the Sussex family released various media projects. 

After the first three episodes of "Harry & Meghan" were released on Dec. 8, 2022, royal fans were eager to see what the famously private couple would reveal. To our delight, the world got another chance to hear Archie speak. 

In a clip of a stunning sunset in Montecito, Meghan said to her son offscreen, "Look at that. How would you describe it, Archie?" In awe of the sky, little Archie responded, "Well it's all done, beautiful!"

How adorable! But it wasn't the first time we heard Archie's voice. The royal toddler made a short appearance in Meghan's Archetypes podcast.

In the first episode of the Sussex's Netflix series, Archie made an appearance running on a beach while dressed in warm winter layers. The final three episodes of the series are set to drop on Dec. 15, 2022. Netflix called the series "unprecedented," as it revealed it would span from "the early days of the couple’s courtship to the challenges and controversies that led them to feeling forced to step back from their full-time roles in the institution."

Meanwhile, the Sussexes said of the show:

“We are grateful to have the ability to share our love story through such an esteemed creative team and with the global reach of Netflix. ... We hope it helps others to heal, and to feel inspired.” 

Although it's unclear exactly how much the couple received for the docuseries, their total Netflix deal is estimated to be $100 million.

For Archie's second birthday, the family celebrated quietly at their home in Montecito, California. It was also reported that Archie's grandmother, Doria Ragland, spent the day with her grandson and the Sussexes. It's well known that the royal family has many traditions, but in 2021 it was revealed that Meghan reportedly has her own birthday tradition for Archie that was taught to her by her mother. The duchess once wrote on her old blog, The Tig, about a birthday tradition that she does every year that was taught to her by Ragland. According to Elle, Meghan wrote on her blog back in 2016:

"My mum has always said that birthdays are your own personal New Year. Your own chance to make resolutions just for yourself and what you prognosticate for your year ahead."

Since Archie spent his birthday with his parents and grandmother in California, it's possible they passed down this tradition to him. Another tradition that Archie partook in for a previous birthday was the popular American tradition of cake-smashing, in which a baby gets their own personal cake to smash and eat on their first birthday. 

The following year, many royal family members wished Archie a happy third birthday on social media. This included his aunt and uncle, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Posting a throwback picture on their Twitter account, the couple included warm birthday wishes. The official royal family Twitter account chimed in as well, also including a throwback picture.

It seems that California life offers a particular sort of freedom that Harry didn't get in the royal family. There are several examples of this, including the couple's decision to send Archie to a nursery that teaches more than just traditional skills. 

Coincidentally, Archie's fourth birthday was the same day as his grandfather King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was marked by the royal family as well as plenty of brilliantly talented guests. In a private speech following the ceremony, Charles even wished his grandson a happy birthday.

While Harry made his first public appearance with the royal family since his tell-all memoir "Spare" was released in January 2023, he appeared without his wife or children by his side. The Duke of Sussex jetted off from the UK 28 hours after he arrived, in order to make it back to California in time for Archie’s 4th birthday, which took place on the same day as Charles' coronation. Archie, his sister Lilibet, and their mother, Meghan, had stayed home in California to celebrate the tiny tot’s birthday. 

Although Charles' son and grandchildren were not present at a private gathering following his coronation, the Daily Mail reported that the king made a toast in honor of them and, in particular, to Archie on his birthday. Charles toasted "those that weren’t there" and wished his grandson a very happy birthday "wherever he was." The insider said, "It was apparently a very sweet moment."

According to The Daily Mail, Prince Harry left the coronation immediately after the service and went directly to his VIP Windsor Suite. 

"He was always determined to get back in time to spend part of Archie's birthday at home," a source told the outlet. The insider also revealed that Harry took the earliest flight out of London before sunset, as he was "determined" to tuck his son into bed for his birthday. 

Another royal source told People in April that the Sussexes' celebration for Archie's birthday this year would be a "low-key" affair at the family's Montecito, California home.

"They'll have friends around them and Meghan's mom, Doria (Ragland). Meghan will definitely have support that weekend," the insider said.

Additionally, Archie's little sister Lilibet was there to celebrate her older brother's special day. The source added:

"They are so sweet together. Archie loves Lili. He's such a sweet boy. When she's not around, he asks, 'Where's Lili?'"

Asked about who was in attendance at Archie's birthday party, another source said that Winfrey was likely to be in attendance. "Some of their friends are celebrities, so yes, that's likely. It will be a small, intimate gathering."

Misan Harriman, one of Meghan and Harry's friends greeted Archie on his birthday on Instagram with a screenshot taken from the Netflix series "Harry & Meghan" where the young royal touches a photo of the late Princess Diana.

Harriman's choice of photo was seen as a "shade" by some in the comment section, noting that it was quite odd to post a photo reminiscing Princess Diana the same day as Camilla finally takes on the title of Queen. 

"I see you @misanharriman … I see the subtle (?) shade…," a user said. 

Despite this, many people have showered Archie with greetings and described the moment with her late grandmother to be "heartwarming."

"That moment was so touching. Diana Queen of hearts, happy birthday Archie!" another commented. 

"Happiest of birthdays Archie. And May the gentle soul of the true Queen continue to rest in peace. ❤️" another greeted. 

Who do you think Archie looks more like — his mom or dad? What can you say about the birthday greeting? Do you think it was a shade toward the royal family? Let us know, then pass this on to any other royal fans in your life so they can weigh in too!