With the publication of his autobiography, Spare, Prince Harry has captured the world’s attention.
He not only revealed facts about his life as a working royal, but he also revealed what he claims happened with some of his closest family members.
He also spoke at length about his upbringing, including the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and his service in the army.
Harry also revealed additional details about his family with Meghan Markle, including information about their firstborn child, Archie.
Although Harry and Meghan clearly like the spotlight, they have thus far ensured that their children have a more sheltered upbringing. As a result, we haven’t seen much of Archie or his sister, Lilibet.
Nonetheless, during the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary, which aired in December, Harry and Meghan revealed numerous private moments with their children.
In Spare, Harry revealed additional details about his personal life. Interestingly, this includes what he did while Meghan was giving birth to Archie… he reportedly got high!
The duo has been a source of fascination for the British tabloid press since they began dating. That is hardly unexpected given that half of the globe appears to be interested in what they are doing.
Harry was “obsessed” with protecting Archie from reporters.
Meghan Markle was already a well-known name because to her appearance in the television series Suit, so the news that she would be joining the British Royal Family made quite a stir.
Archie, Harry and Meghan’s son, was born on May 6, 2019, at The Portland Hospital in London. It was a momentous occasion, as with the birth of any royal child, but Harry and Meghan took a different approach.
According to royal analyst Katie Nicholl, Harry was apparently preoccupied with not disclosing any details of his son’s birth to the media.
Nicholl portrayed Harry as “almost morbidly obsessed” with keeping Archie’s birth as secret as possible in her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown.
However, because millions of followers and the majority of the public were eager to learn more about the young child, the desire for concealment was dismissed as a breach of the “unwritten contract between the royals and the public.”
“Behind the scenes, matters were so fraught that more than one official — as I know from personal experience — was reduced to tears of frustration and despair,” Rebecca English, royal editor of the Daily Mail, added.
When a royal baby is delivered, the parents are usually photographed on the steps to the hospital with their new son or daughter. Following the taking of photographs, the proud mother and father normally answer a few questions before retreating to private once again.
According to Katie Nicholl, Harry and Meghan decided to handle their son’s birth differently. Instead of confronting the media directly, they duped reporters and photographers.
“I had been really worried going into that labor”
Because Prince William, Harry, and William’s children were all born at St Mary’s Hospital, the traditional first baby portraits were shot there as well.
Meghan’s doctor, on the other hand, worked at Portland Hospital. As a result, giving birth there made sense. Not only that, but the Sussexes were warned that photos would be impossible due to safety concerns at the entry.
“Harry had always enjoyed outfoxing the media,” Nicholl wrote in his book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Crown’s Future.
“He and Meghan were thrilled to be safely delivered of their son in London’s private Portland hospital even before the palace press office had confirmed the duchess was in labor.”
Meghan revealed in their Netflix documentary series that she was worried about what might happen on the day her baby boy was delivered.
“There was already the pressure of the picture on the steps. … But I had been really worried going into that labor because I’m older, I didn’t know if I’d have to have a c-section, and I had a very longstanding relationship with my doctor, and that’s who I trusted with my pregnancy,” she said.
