Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have focused on raising their children, Archie and Lilibet. Archie was born while they were still royals, but Lilibet was born after they left the royal family.

The children likely don’t know about the family rift and may grow up without much connection to their royal cousins. Harry and Meghan might have had more children if not for a tragic miscarriage.

The couple left royal life to live more privately in the US, aiming for a different future for their kids. From the start, they avoided royal traditions, including keeping Archie’s birth very private, with Meghan’s mother helping during the birth.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s children Archie & Lilibet

Despite efforts to keep the baby news private, millions of royal fans wanted updates, making secrecy impossible—part of the “unwritten contract” between royals and the public.

Rebecca English from the Daily Mail said officials were so stressed they cried behind the scenes.

Harry and Meghan avoided the usual public fuss, like the hospital photo William and Kate did. While William’s family used St Mary’s Hospital, Meghan gave birth at Portland Hospital, where her doctor worked, to prevent photos with tight security.

Royal author Katie Nicholl said Harry enjoyed outsmarting the media, and the Sussexes were glad to have their son privately before the palace confirmed Meghan was in labor.

Prince Harry ate chicken while Meghan was in labor

Harry and Meghan wanted privacy for Archie’s birth, but Harry shared some moments in his book Spare. At Portland Hospital, to calm his nerves, Harry secretly used Meghan’s laughing gas.

He wrote, “One: Nando’s chicken (from our bodyguards). Two: A canister of laughing gas by Meg’s bed. I took several slow hits.”

Meghan stayed calm, bouncing on a purple ball, while Harry ended up laughing and bouncing too. A nurse tried to give Meghan the gas, but Harry had already used it all. “Sorry,” he said.

Later, Meghan got an epidural, and after a scare with Archie’s umbilical cord, the baby was fine—moving both parents to tears.

Princess Lilibet’s name sparked controversy

Prince Archie was less than a year old when Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family and moved to North America. Settling in Montecito, California, their family soon grew.

On June 6, 2021, they joyfully announced the birth of their daughter. She was named Lilibet, a nickname Queen Elizabeth II used as a toddler because she struggled to say her own name.

However, naming her Lilibet caused some controversy. Meghan and Harry hoped it would be a special surprise for the Queen, but it sparked a diplomatic fuss due to the royal family’s strict protocols, as noted by royal expert Tom Quinn in his book Gilded Youth.