Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Don't Know About Their Royal Heritage Just Yet

"Archie is sweet and curious and playful, and Lili is vibrant and happy."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry pose in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle on May 8, 2019.
(Image credit: Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Even though they live in California, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's two children remain important members of the British Royal Family. However, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's lives are likely quite different to those of their cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. And according to a new profile of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, there are some crucial reasons why Archie and Lilibet don't know the full extent of their famous family quite yet.

In the new Us Weekly article, a friend of the Sussexes opened up about the couple's approach to raising their children. "[Prince] William’s kids... have way more safety, even though they’re recognizable," the source noted. "And the same doesn’t apply to Meghan and Harry’s children. They know the world wants to see [them but] I would expect them to live smaller lives until that gets sorted, if it ever does."

As Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, are still very young, they aren't even aware of their impressive royal heritage. According to one of Meghan and Harry's friends, "they’ll have those conversations in due time." For now, at least, "they want Archie and Lilibet to be loved for who they are as individuals," Us Weekly reported.

Meghan and Harry's friend also gave insight into Archie and Lilibet's personalities. "Archie is sweet and curious and playful, and Lili is vibrant and happy," they explained.

Another source confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are prioritizing their kids while they're still so young. "I think the focus is very much on raising their two children," the source claimed. This includes doing the everyday parental duties most parents do. "They take the kids to school, they pick them up, and they are very active and present with them throughout the day," an insider noted.

During a recent royal tour of Colombia, Duchess Meghan opened up about her daughter, Lilibet. At the Afro-Descendant Women and Power: Voices of Equity summit, Meghan said (via the Daily Mail), "At three she has found her voice and we are so proud of that, because that is how we create the conditions in which there is a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that if someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard, that's what they are going to do."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.