Harry & Meghan Send Archie To Nursery School Offering Classes On "Emotional Literacy"

Jan 03, 2022

Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer working royals, they are enjoying a different kind of life in sunny California with their two children: Archie and Lilibeth. It seems that Cali life is offering a particular sort of freedom that Harry didn't get in the royal family, and the latest example is the couple's decision to send Archie to a nursery that teaches more than just traditional skills. Meghan and Harry are certainly living the California dream in Montecito with their children Archie and Lilibeth.

Archie Mountbatten-Windsor is an adorable little tot, and in the few photos that have so far been made available to the public, some Royal fans are claiming that the little guy bears a striking resemblance to his dad, Prince Harry – as a baby, that is. 

Since Archie was born in Spring 2019, his parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have been careful about keeping him away from the public eye as much as possible. While new mothers in Buckingham Palace generally give the public a glimpse of a newborn Royal at the Lindo Wing steps at St. Mary's Hospital the day they are born, Archie's parents went against Royal protocol and did not invite the press for a photo op. 

However, the doting parents did give the public the tiniest of glimpses of the Royal tot a few days following his birth, in an intimate photoshoot at the Windsor Castle's St. Georges Hall. After that, only a few photos from his christening and one uploaded by his mother on the now-debunked Sussex Instagram account were publicly available. Now it has been revealed that the Sussexes have decided to forego tradition in another way: by sending little Archie to a special nursery school.

On the day of Archie's birth, his father, Prince Harry, addressed the public, announcing that his wife had given birth to a "very healthy baby boy," assuring everyone that both baby and mother were well and resting. 

Just two days later, the young family made their first outing as a unit, with the newborn making his debut as the newest member of the Royal family. That same day, Harry and Meghan Markle formally announced their son's name – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Unlike his cousins, the three children of Duke William and Duchess Kate, Archie does not hold a royal title. Because of a letters patent — which is a legal order of the monarch — from 1917, only certain people may have the title of "prince," and Archie sadly does not qualify. While the happy parents were given the option to choose the subsidiary, honorary title of Earl of Dumbarton for their son, they decided not to, according to Time Magazine. Harry and Meghan decided they wanted a more private life for little Archie. 

For a boy with only two years under his belt, Archie has certainly moved around the world. Having been born in London, Archie moved with his parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, to Vancouver Island for several months before they moved back to Meghan's home state of California. Then, after both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working members of the royal family, the group moved to Los Angeles — a familiar place for former actress Meghan — in March of 2020. However, not satisfied with the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles life, Harry, Meghan, and Archie decided to settle in Montecito, Santa Barbara, for some more privacy. 

Now little Archie is off to visit a nursery school in his Californian hometown. As The Mirror reports, the school Meghan and Harry have chosen for their son offers more than the traditional kinds of teachings - although those are still represented, of course.

The usual first things a child is taught are still offered: reading, writing, their numbers as well as first bits of Spanish, music, dance, theatre and supposedly even coding. Aside from these scholarly approaches, however, the nursery school also focuses on teaching what they call "emotional literacy" and mindfulness, which reflects an emphasis on mental health and social skills that the Duke and Duchess have previously stated to hold in high regard. Class sizes are small, The Mirror reports, and children spent time growing their own vegetables and plants in the nursery's gardens that feature fruit trees, a variety of plants and many possibilities to get up and close to nature.

The British magazine The Mirror spoke with a parent of one of the other children visiting the nursery. Unsurprisingly, little Archie seems to garner a lot less attention than he would get if he were to visit an English nursery school:

"Harry often drops Archie off and picks him up, and seems like a good dad. All the parents have been laidback in welcoming Harry and Meghan, without making a fuss. And to the other kids, Archie is just one of them.

They don't know his parents are royalty, and probably wouldn't care – unless Meghan was a Disney princess."

What do you think about the nursery school's reported curriculum? Would you send your own children to such a school? Tell us what you think and pass this along!