Meghan Markle And Prince Harry's Daughter Lili's Birth In Comparison To Big Brother Archie's

Jun 08, 2021

With the birth of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4, 2021, royal fans are already wondering when the newborn will make her public debut. The world is already captivated by the newborn, and the royal family has released a statement about their delight at welcoming the newest member of the family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been quite private about their lives since their move to the United States in March 2020. 

In fact, leading up to their second child's birth, Meghan has been relatively private, staying out of the public eye and refusing to reveal her daughter's due date. The duchess also decided not to have a baby shower. According to US Weekly, Meghan didn't feel such a celebration would be appropriate amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The couple has also been careful about the media spotlight on their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Since Archie was born in Spring 2019, his parents 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.

It came as no surprise that the news of the birth of their daughter was shared two days after the fact and that no pictures were included at first. However, despite some similarities, there are also glaring differences between the two births.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have become parents of two children — and these children's births couldn't have been more different from each other considering that Harry and Meghan are no longer senior working members of the royal family. The couple welcomed their new daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana as their second child and little baby sister to their son Archie Harrison, who turned two in May, on June 4.

A lot of things have changed between the birth of their two children, most notably that the couple has stepped down from their senior royal roles and moved across the big pond to California. While Archie was born at the Portland Hospital in the UK, the proud parents welcomed Lili at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

On a side note: Lili is actually not the first member of the British royal family that was born in California — all the way back in 2013, Prince Harry's cousin Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Sophie Winkleman became the happy parents of their oldest daughter, Maud, in Los Angeles.

For the birth of both children, Meghan and Prince Harry managed to maintain some resemblance of privacy. They also didn't announce Lili's birth until two days after the fact.
On the actual day little Archie saw the light of day, the couple published an announcement stating that Meghan was in labor, which was followed up by the news that she had given birth to a baby boy via their now no defunct Instagram page. However, despite this, the paparazzi did not capture photos of the parents leaving the hospital with their newly arrived bundle of joy. 

While Meghan and Harry announced both their children's names two days following their birth, Lili's name was already included with the initial birth announcement, whereas Archie's name wasn't shared with the public until the couple's photo call two days after the news of his birth broke.

Prince Harry and Megan spoke out about their daughter's birth by publishing a personal statement on their Archewell Foundation website. The statement read:

"On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

In contrast to this low-key announcement, 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 formally announced their son's name – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The first photo op followed a few days after his birth. Currently, no statement regarding a photo shoot with Lili has been made.

In short, while many similarities exist between the two young royals' births, it's clear to see that the formerly senior royal couple wishes to remain private for longer. Considering Prince Harrys background and the early death of Princess Diana, one can hardly blame him for being extra cautious with his children around the media.

What do you think of the differences between the two births? Do you think the couple's caution regarding the media is justified? Pass this along to fellow royals fans and find out what they think!