Meghan Markle recently gave a peek into her family life. She shared a rare update about her two children, Archie and Lilibet, whom she shares with Prince Harry. This happened while she accepted a special award in New York City.
The Duchess of Sussex was at the annual Project Healthy Minds gala on October 9. She and Prince Harry were honored as Humanitarians of the Year. During her speech, Meghan, 44, spoke about how quickly her kids are growing up. Harry, 41, stood by her side.
“Our children, Archie and Lilibet, are only 6 and 4 years old,” Meghan told the audience, according to reports from People magazine. She then playfully asked, “Can you believe it?” The comment highlighted a feeling many parents understand.
Meghan then steered her speech toward a more serious topic: keeping children safe online. She shared that she and Harry often worry about their kids’ future online. This concern starts early, even though Archie and Lilibet are still too young for social media.
Their organization, Archewell, is actively working on this issue. The Archewell initiative, The Parents Network, has teamed up with the non-profit group ParentsTogether. Together, they aim to protect families and children from the dangers of social media.
“Luckily, they are still too young for social media, but we know that day will come,” Meghan continued. “Like so many parents, we constantly think about how to use the benefits of technology while guarding against its dangers. And that hopeful intention of separation is quickly becoming impossible.”
Before the gala, Meghan and Harry released a joint statement. They detailed the important work their Archewell initiative is doing. This statement underlined their commitment to online safety.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds)
In their joint statement from September, they said, “Working with families and youth to prioritize online safety has been some of the most meaningful work of our lives.” They added that “as parents, the strength of their stories has pushed us to act, and we are honored to support them.” They concluded by saying they are proud partners of Project Healthy Minds. Their goal is to shine a light on one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Even though Meghan and Harry try to keep their children out of the spotlight, Meghan has shared her thoughts on motherhood over the years. This shows a consistent theme in her public life.
During a panel at the Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival in October 2023, Meghan spoke about her role as a mom. “Being a mother is the most important thing in my whole life, apart, of course, from being the wife of this one,” she said, nodding to Harry. She noted that she feels lucky her children are still young. This means social media isn’t an immediate worry. But she admitted, “it also scares me how it keeps changing and this will be before us.”
The year before, in November 2022, Meghan talked about the busy reality of raising small children on her podcast, “Archetypes.” She described her morning routine, showing a hands-on approach. “The morning rush… for me, it’s having both monitors on for the kids, so I can hear them,” she shared. “I always get up with Lili, take her downstairs, and half an hour later, Archie wakes up. I start preparing his lunchbox just before he wakes up, while I have [Lili], giving her a little bite. My husband helps me bring him down and I make breakfast for all three of them. It’s very important to me. I love doing it.”