Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were Inspired by Archie to Take a Stand

windsor, england may 08 prince harry, duke of sussex and meghan, duchess of sussex, pose with their newborn son archie harrison mountbatten windsor during a photocall in st george's hall at windsor castle on may 8, 2019 in windsor, england the duchess of sussex gave birth at 0526 on monday 06 may, 2019 photo by dominic lipinski wpa poolgetty images

(Image credit: WPA Pool)

published 22 August 2021

People around the world were shocked when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their royal exit in early 2020.
According to royal author and expert Omid Scobie, everything changed for Harry and Meghan in May 2019 when they welcomed their first child, their son, Archie.
Becoming parents gave the Duke and Duchess of Sussex the "energy to stand up for what was right for them, regardless of what the consequences were," Scobie explained.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are dedicated parents, so it's not surprising that parenthood was a major turning point for the couple.

In a new interview with People, royal author and correspondent Omid Scobie explained that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hit got the "energy to stand up for what was right for them, regardless of what the consequences were" when they welcomed their son, Archie Harrison, in May 2019.

Scobie is an authority when it comes to Harry and Meghan's royal exit (and all of the factors that led up to it). Along with fellow royal reporter Carolyn Durand, Scobie co-authored Finding Freedom; Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, which first hit shelves late last summer. The paperback edition is set to be released later this month (August 31, if you want to mark your calendars), along with a new epilogue covering some of the biggest moments in the Sussexes' lives over the last year.

"As we have seen, those consequences have been pretty major," Scobie added. Harry and Meghan's royal exit was fairly unprecedented (at least for modern royals in their position) and Scobie says they were pretty nervous about the move. "They were quite afraid of the consequences of stepping away and challenging the system."

Now, however, Harry and Meghan are settled in California with Archie and the newest addition to the Sussex family, baby Lilibet Diana, and by all accounts, they have zero regrets about putting their family (and the mental health and emotional wellbeing of everyone in it) first.

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Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.