Meghan Markle’s kids, Archie and Lilibet, are two of the most talked-about children in the world, yet most people know surprisingly little about them. That’s by design. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kept their son and daughter largely out of the public eye since stepping back from royal life in 2020.
Still, the world keeps asking questions. How old are they now? Do they have royal titles? What is their life like in California? This guide answers all of that using verified, publicly reported facts — nothing invented, nothing guessed.
Quick Facts Table
| Detail | Archie | Lilibet |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor | Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor |
| Birth date | May 6, 2019 | June 4, 2021 |
| Birthplace | Portland Hospital, London | Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California |
| Royal title | Prince Archie of Sussex | Princess Lilibet of Sussex |
| Parents | Prince Harry & Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex | Prince Harry & Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex |
| Line of succession | 6th in line to the British throne | 7th in line to the British throne |
| Current home | Montecito, California | Montecito, California |
| Hair color | Red (like his father) | Red (like her father) |
Who Are Meghan Markle Kids?
Meghan Markle has two children with her husband, Prince Harry: a son named Archie and a daughter named Lilibet. Both children were born after Meghan married into the British royal family in 2018.
Archie arrived first, in May 2019, while his parents were still working members of the royal family. Lilibet came two years later, after Harry and Meghan had already relocated to the United States.
Together, the siblings represent a new branch of the royal family — one being raised almost entirely away from Buckingham Palace and British public life. That single fact shapes nearly everything about how they grow up.
Archie Mountbatten-Windsor: The Firstborn
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on May 6, 2019, at the private Portland Hospital in London. He was the first child born to Harry and Meghan, and his birth was announced with a photo of the beaming new parents outside Windsor Castle.
At the time, Archie did not hold a prince title. Under a rule set by King George V in 1917, only the monarch’s male-line grandchildren automatically receive the title of prince or princess — not great-grandchildren. Since Queen Elizabeth II was reigning at his birth, Archie was simply “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.”
That changed in September 2022, when Harry’s father became King Charles III. Under royal succession rules, Archie automatically became eligible for the title Prince Archie of Sussex, since he is now a grandchild of the reigning monarch. The palace confirmed the title update to its official website not long after.
Archie turned seven in May 2026. Meghan marked the milestone with a family photo showing him as a baby in Harry’s arms alongside a new picture of him on the beach, captioning it a simple tribute to “our sweet boy.”
Princess Lilibet: The Youngest Sussex
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California — the first of Harry and Meghan’s children born on American soil. Her first name honors her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname was “Lilibet.” Her middle name honors Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.
Like her brother, Lilibet wasn’t born with a royal title, since Queen Elizabeth was still on the throne. She automatically became eligible for the title Princess Lilibet of Sussex when her grandfather became king in 2022.
Harry and Meghan didn’t publicly use her title right away. They confirmed it in March 2023, when they announced that “Princess Lilibet Diana” had been christened at their California home by the Archbishop of Los Angeles. That announcement effectively settled months of public speculation about whether the family would use the titles at all.
Lilibet turned five in June 2026. Meghan shared a family portrait for the occasion, calling her daughter “our dream girl.”
Life in Montecito: Growing Up Out of the Spotlight
Since March 2020, Archie and Lilibet have been raised primarily in Montecito, a quiet coastal community in Santa Barbara County, California. It’s a world away from the formality of royal households in the United Kingdom.
Harry and Meghan have been deliberate about shielding their children from the kind of media attention Harry experienced as a boy. In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote candidly about how intrusive press coverage affected his own childhood, and that experience appears to guide how he and Meghan handle their kids’ privacy today.
This doesn’t mean the children are invisible. The couple shares carefully chosen glimpses of family life through:
- Instagram posts on birthdays and holidays
- Annual Christmas cards
- Occasional home videos, such as Archie learning to ski
- Brief appearances during Meghan’s lifestyle content for her brand, As Ever
Each glimpse tends to generate outsized media coverage precisely because full access to the children remains so rare.
A Growing Public Role
For years, Archie and Lilibet stayed almost entirely behind the scenes of their parents’ charitable work. That began to shift as they got older. Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation rebranded as Archewell Philanthropies, and the couple indicated their children would take on small public-facing roles within that family effort.
One recent example came in August 2026, when Archie and Lilibet were given the chance to name two elephants in Botswana fitted with satellite tracking collars, through the conservation group Elephants Without Borders. Archie picked a blue collar for his elephant; Lilibet chose purple. The funding came from Harry’s share of the Diana Memorial Fund.
It’s a small gesture, but it reflects a broader pattern: as the children age, their parents appear more willing to let them participate — in limited, age-appropriate ways — in the family’s public philanthropic work.
The Sussex Children and the Royal Family
Despite living in California, Archie and Lilibet remain officially part of the British royal family and its line of succession. As of 2026, Archie sits sixth in line to the throne, and Lilibet is seventh.
Their relationship with their British relatives, however, has been shaped by distance and a well-documented rift between Harry and the rest of the royal family. Security arrangements have also limited how often the children travel to the UK. Archie and Lilibet’s last visit before 2026 was in June 2022, for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee — meaning Lilibet, who was not yet one year old, has no memory of it.
That changed in July 2026, when Harry traveled to the UK ahead of the Invictus Games and reports indicated the wider family would join him, marking a potential first real visit for the children with their grandfather, King Charles III, and other relatives. The trip followed months of behind-the-scenes work to resolve security concerns that had kept the family away.
How Harry and Meghan Talk About Their Kids
Meghan and Harry rarely discuss detailed specifics about their children’s daily routines, but they’ve offered warm, general glimpses through interviews and social posts. Meghan has referred to Lilibet as her “little helper” and described Archie’s personality with obvious pride in captions marking milestones like his first time skiing.
Both parents have also spoken more broadly about parenthood shaping their choices — from their move to California to their continued advocacy for children’s online safety and mental health through Archewell.
Key Takeaways
- Archie was born in 2019 in London; Lilibet was born in 2021 in California.
- Neither child held a prince or princess title at birth — both became eligible after King Charles III’s accession in 2022.
- The family confirmed Lilibet’s title publicly in March 2023, alongside news of her christening.
- Archie and Lilibet are being raised primarily in Montecito, California, largely away from media attention.
- Both children are gradually taking on small public roles in their parents’ philanthropic work.
- As of 2026, the family was working toward its first fuller visit to the UK with the children in years.
Conclusion
Meghan Markle’s kids, Archie and Lilibet, occupy an unusual position: born into one of the world’s most famous families, yet raised with an unusually private childhood by design. Their parents have made deliberate choices — from where they live to what they share online — to give both children room to grow up outside constant public view.
As Archie and Lilibet get older, that balance will likely keep shifting, especially as they take on small public roles and reconnect with relatives in the UK. For now, the picture the public has is limited but consistent: two red-haired siblings, close in age and clearly close to each other, being raised quietly in California by parents who lived the opposite kind of childhood themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many kids does Meghan Markle have? Meghan Markle has two children with Prince Harry: a son, Archie, born in 2019, and a daughter, Lilibet, born in 2021.
What are Meghan Markle’s kids’ full names? Their full names are Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Are Archie and Lilibet really a prince and princess? Yes. Both became eligible for the titles Prince and Princess of Sussex when their grandfather became King Charles III in September 2022. The family confirmed use of the titles in 2023.
Where do Meghan Markle’s kids live now? They live with their parents in Montecito, California, where the family has resided since 2020.
Why don’t we see more photos of Archie and Lilibet? Harry and Meghan have chosen to limit media exposure of their children, sharing only occasional, curated glimpses on social media and in holiday cards rather than granting regular public access.
Do Archie and Lilibet have a relationship with King Charles? Their contact has been limited by distance and security arrangements, with their last confirmed UK visit before 2026 dating back to 2022. Reports in 2026 pointed to plans for a fuller reunion with royal relatives.
Where do Archie and Lilibet fall in the line of succession? As of 2026, Archie is sixth in line to the British throne, and Lilibet is seventh.
Do Meghan Markle’s kids have any public roles yet? They have started taking small, age-appropriate parts in family philanthropic projects, such as naming rescued or tracked wildlife through conservation partners tied to Archewell Philanthropies.
