Archie & Lilibet's Childhoods Are Nothing Like Other Royal Kids. Here's Why

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Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet may be British royals, but they certainly have not had a royal upbringing. Their cousins — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — have benefitted from the unique parenting style of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, at the palace. Meanwhile, Lilibet and Archie have barely had any contact with their royal family members since their parents moved to California in 2020. They missed their great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II's, funeral and were abroad for their grandfather, King Charles III's, coronation. They were not even invited to the 2026 wedding of Princess Anne's son, Peter Philips, to Harriet Sperling. As far as royal events go, Archie and Lilibet are out of the loop — making their childhood totally different from that of their cousins.

As much as Archie and Lilibet have missed out on royal life, however, they have also gained new experiences in California. Rather than spend time at these incredibly public family events, Archie and Lilibet have enjoyed more privacy at home. Their childhood photos have not been plastered across magazine covers, their Christmas celebrations have not been captured by the paparazzi, and their playtime has not been limited by royal protocol. Archie and Lilibet may not know what it's like to study at Eton or Gordonstoun, but they have benefited from the peace of privacy since they were babies. 

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet stood out from the rest of the British royals from the minute they came into the world. The reason? Most royal babies are taken to the hospital steps just hours after they are born so that they can receive a warm welcome from members of the public. When Archie was born in 2019, however, his parents — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — were not so keen on continuing the tradition. Leading up to his birth, Buckingham Palace released a press statement that read (via ABC News): "Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."

When Lilibet was born just two years later, it was clear that Harry and Meghan had not changed their tune. By then, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had relocated to California. This meant that Lilibet would be born in an American hospital rather than a British one. That said, in recognition of public interest in Lilibet's arrival, the Sussexes shared a statement to the Archewell website. "She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe," it read, per the BBC. 

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's unique upbringing continued after their ultra-private birth stories. Whereas most other royals are raised near the palace, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to move them to Montecito, California, instead. The vast distance between SoCal and Buckingham Palace has prevented Lilibet and Archie from really getting a feel for the idiosyncrasies of royal life. Indeed, neither Archie nor Lilibet is subjected to the weird rules that royals have to follow with tea or the strange regulations about the bathroom. They can enjoy a normal childhood without perfecting their manners or acing their royal outfits.

Of course, there are also downsides to growing up away from the court of their grandfather, the king. Living in California has arguably prevented Lilibet and Archie from understanding exactly how life at the palace works — something that their cousins in the Wales family have been studying from day one. At the end of the day, though, reports indicate that life in California has been kind to the Sussex children. "They love their home and their com­munity," an insider told People. "The kids are really thriving." While Archie and Lilibet might not be experts in royal rules, they are discovering who they are beyond their titles. The same source said that the kids' upbringing has let their true character shine.

Although Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have benefited from life in California, there has been one major drawback to their unique upbringing. The young royals lack a relationship with their Wales cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. It is believed that Archie first met the Wales kids when he was 2 months old. Lilibet, meanwhile, is thought to have had no contact with her royal cousins. As royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun, the kids rarely got the chance to spend time together in England. "Although they were invited to Lilibet's first birthday party at Frogmore Cottage, [George, Charlotte, and Louis] did not go," he spilled.

The good news is that Archie and Lilibet likely won't be separated from their Wales cousins forever. Speaking to the Express, royal author Ingrid Seward guessed that George, Charlotte, and Louis would one day cherish their fun American cousins. "How cool to have a Californian cousin who is going to be such a dude as Archie," she mused. The royal pundit went on to imagine the cousins hopping across the pond to visit each other. "So exciting for them to go and stay with him too and vice versa," Seward added. Although the Wales and Sussex kids may one day reunite, their situation is unique. Most royal cousins grow up close, but Archie and Lilibet live on a different continent from their royal relatives. 

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's life in California comes with plenty of ups and downs. However, one of the biggest benefits of growing up far from the palace has been privacy. Archie and Lilibet's cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, are some of the most photographed children in the world. Their school choices make headlines. And, the truth about Princess Charlotte is that whenever she wears a dress, it sells out to the hundreds of young people eager to copy her wardrobe. Because Archie and Lilibet remain out of the paparazzi's view, most people don't know what they look like. This situation has allowed the duo to grow up away from the pressures faced by their royal cousins.

Archie and Lilibet's freedom from the press was part of their parents' vision for their childhood. Their father, Prince Harry, has been particularly keen on keeping his kids out of public view. As royal expert Matt Wilkinson shared on "A Right Royal Podcast," " ... Harry would much rather his children were not seen. He doesn't want them to be papped." Apparently, Harry's negative experiences with the paparazzi in the 1990s have made him fearful of taking his kids out in public. "He's got this idea that if he takes them outside of Montecito that there's a horde of us out there trying to take pictures of his kids," Wilkinson added. 

Growing up, most English royals study at one of Britain's famous preparatory schools — not that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have any plans to carry on this tradition. Whereas their father and grandfather studied at Eton College and Gordonstoun School, respectively, Archie and Lilibet will likely continue their education in California. A rep for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told People that a British education is not necessarily in Archie and Lilibet's future: "I can confirm that the Duke has not put his son's name down for Eton and has no plans to send his son there."

Instead, it seems that Archie and Lilibet will continue soaking up the Californian lifestyle that they have come to know and love. As Meghan told People in a separate interview, "Once you know us, I think you want us to have the same normalcy as parents and for our children as they do, despite however unique our situation is." For the Sussexes, normal means hosting a bunch of families in their home over winter break and allowing their kids to set up indoor obstacle courses. Face painting is another Sussex family favorite. Mealtimes, meanwhile, are straight-up sacred in Harry and Meghan's household. "I love making breakfast for my family," Meghan told the outlet, later adding, "My husband and Archie both love fried eggs. There's a lot of bacon around here."

Because Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet aren't receiving the typical royal education, experts believe that they probably won't take on royal duties later in life. In many ways, this dynamic is already evident. Archie and Lilibet's Wales cousins have already begun learning about the importance of public appearances. Meanwhile, the Sussex kids have remained largely in the shadows — and in the dark about how to perform these important duties. Speaking to this point in an interview with the Daily Express, constitutional law expert Dr. Craig Prescott explained, "Given their future roles, the Prince and Princess of Wales have carefully introduced their children to conducting royal duties and attending the largest events, such as Trooping the Colour."

Prescott went on to compare the Wales children's royal upbringing with Archie and Lilibet's more casual lifestyle — noting that the Sussex kids have no experience with public duties. "This has not been the case for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and it seems to me very doubtful that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will ever conduct public duties," the legal expert explained in the aforementioned interview. What remains in Archie and Lilibet's future instead? According to Prescott, the two young royals can look forward to the sense of normalcy that their dad has always craved. "They will ostensibly live out their lives in America as private citizens, despite having the title," he posited. Archie and Lilibet will have options.

One of the British royal family's biggest Christmas traditions is spending the holiday at Sandringham — not that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have ever had the chance to experience that for themselves. The young royals may have been invited to spend the holiday with their grandfather, King Charles III, on a few occasions; however, their parents have generally preferred to enjoy private Christmas celebrations at home in California. Because of this, Archie and Lilibet have missed out on one of the most iconic parts of being royal — even if it has also allowed them to make special memories of their own.

According to an email in the As Ever mailing list, Meghan Markle is dedicated to creating plenty of Christmas memories for her kids. Per an excerpt that was later published in In Style, the Duchess of Sussex has introduced Archie and Lilibet to the classic tradition of Santa Claus. She even wrote about "tip-toeing down the stairs with my husband to make sure 'Santa' had enjoyed his cookies and 'the reindeer' had eaten their carrots." She has also showed Archie and Lilibet the joy of soaking up Christmas day. "I plan to spend today cuddled up with my family—maybe pajamas all day, some Scrabble or Sequence (or Candyland for the kids), music playing, candles flickering," Meghan wrote. Archie and Lilibeth may not know much about royal Christmases, but they do celebrate the holiday in style.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have not been raised like other royals. As a result, experts believe that they don't know too much about their heritage. In a conversation about this issue, royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! (via the Mirror) that it's only a matter of time before Archie and Lilibet begin asking questions about the British royal family. "Children grow up and are innately curious about their heritage and background," Bond noted. She later posited that this sense of curiosity will likely grow as Archie and Lilibet learn more about their origins. "When your heritage is one of the most famous families in the world, it will undoubtedly seem rather odd and perhaps sad that you hardly know or remember them," she added.

Luckily, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem aware of this. According to royal expert Tom Quinn in  a separate Mirror report, insiders have told him that "Meghan does miss some aspects of life in the UK and worries that her children will blame her if they never get to see their cousins." Harry reportedly agrees with this sentiment. One of the prince's friends even told The Times that educating Archie and Lilibet about the royals will become a top priority: "He's not given up hope on bringing his family back to the UK. He wants to be able to show his children where he grew up."

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet may be royals, but that doesn't mean that they will spend the rest of their lives living in castles filled with maids and private chefs. Their parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, no longer receive financial support from the monarchy. This means that — unlike their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — Archie and Lilibet probably won't benefit very much from public money. Instead, the royal duo will likely have to work for a living.

Luckily, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seemingly accounted for this reality. As one of Harry's friends told the Daily Mail, "Harry and Meghan were always so insistent that their children would be able to make their own way in life without the pressure of expectations or titles." Moving forward, Archie and Lilibet might take on any number of different professions as they try to make a name for themselves outside the shadow of the British royal family. 

Although it may seem odd for a prince or princess to pursue a career, there is precedent for this. Prince Edward's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, has joined the workforce on occasion — even taking on a summer job at a garden center in 2022. But, while Louise had the luxury of going home to a royal property at the end of her work day, Archie and Lilibet are expected to be private citizens.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's upbringing has been anything but royal. As they grow older and become increasingly distant from the British royal family, it is possible the duo will actually lose their titles. In his book, "Betrayal: Power, Deceit, and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family," royal biographer Tom Bower posited that the feud between Prince William and Prince Harry could spill over to their kids. "William would undoubtedly rail against [Meghan Markle's] disloyalty. He might even strip Archie and Lilibet of their titles," Bower opined.

Although the biographer has painted this outcome in a negative light, it could ultimately be a good thing for Archie and Lilibet to live title-free lives. As one insider told People in 2020, normalcy has always been Harry and Meghan's goal for their children. Apparently, low-key living is what attracted the couple to Montecito to begin with. "They can hope to give Archie as normal a life as possible there," the source explained. As Archie and Lilibet grow older, they may find that their titles are too cumbersome to carry. Once they reach adulthood, the paparazzi will legally be able to target them. And, in the U.K., where their grandfather is king, Archie and Lilibet will be bombarded with public interest. By relinquishing their titles and integrating into civilian life completely, Archie and Lilibet may be able to enjoy the normalcy at its finest.