Kate Middleton, Prince William, and the Queen Wish Archie a Happy Second Birthday

Kate Middleton and Prince William, the Queen, and Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles shared birthday wishes for Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

london, england may 20 queen elizabeth ii is shwon around back to nature by prince william and catherine, duchess of cambridge at the rhs chelsea flower show 2019 press day at chelsea flower show on may 20, 2019 in london, england photo by geoff pugh wpa poolgetty images
(Image credit: WPA Pool)

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's son, turns 2 today! It's likely the Sussexes will release a photo or video of Archie later today, when the West Coast wakes up (remember last year's adorable Duck! Rabbit! birthday video?) Over in the U.K., meanwhile, Kate Middleton and Prince William, the Queen, and Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have shared their birthday wishes for Archie on social media.

Kate and William, under their new Instagram handle @dukeandduchessofcambridge, shared a family photo from Archie's christening in 2019, adding the caption, "Wishing Archie a very happy 2nd birthday today." In the photo, baby Archie sits on Meghan's knee, Harry sitting beside her, with Camilla and Kate sitting either side of the new parents. Charles, Meghan's mom Doria Ragland, Princess Diana's sisters Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and William stand behind them.

The Queen wished her great-grandson a happy birthday through official Instagram account @theroyalfamily. "Wishing Archie Mountbatten-Windsor a very happy 2nd birthday today," a post on the account read, alongside a photo of Meghan, Harry, and Archie taken shortly after the latter's birth.

Charles and Camilla, meanwhile, shared a black and white photo of Charles, Harry, and Archie, also taken on the day of Archie's christening. "Happy birthday to Archie, who turns two today," the caption read.

The royal family's treatment of Archie and Meghan was a central topic in the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year, with Meghan sharing horrifying experiences of racism. Meghan recalled her fears for Archie's safety after she was informed he would not be given a title, which would deny him the security provided to titled royals (like the Cambridge children.) "The first member of color in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be," the Duchess of Sussex reflected.

Meghan went on to reveal members of the royal family expressed "concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he's born." She added, "That was relayed to me from Harry. Those were conversations that family had with him." The Sussexes didn't name the royals who made the racist comments, though Winfrey later confirmed that "neither his grandmother nor grandfather [i.e. the Queen and Prince Philip] were part of these conversations."

RELATED STORIES

cape town, south africa september 25 prince harry, duke of sussex, meghan, duchess of sussex and their baby son archie mountbatten windsor meet archbishop desmond tutu and his daughter thandeka tutu gxashe at the desmond leah tutu legacy foundation during their royal tour of south africa on september 25, 2019 in cape town, south africa photo by poolsamir husseinwireimage

(Image credit: Pool/Samir Hussein)
Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.