Here's How Archie May Feel About His New Little Sister
Archie Mountbatten-Windsor may no longer be the sole non-adult in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito household, but a source close to the family says he's ready and excited to try out his new role — that of big brother. While a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tells People that Archie "is very happy to have a little sister," someone close to the couple has said that it may take Archie a bit more time to absorb the change in circumstances. "They (Harry and Meghan) prepared Archie by talking a lot about the baby. He is too little to understand though."
In spite of this, there may be the expectation that Archie might not be too bothered by sharing his parents' attention because, "He is big enough though that he is now starting to have his own life too. He enjoys preschool and outdoor activities. He will have a fun summer," the source said.
Harry and Meghan need to prepare for sibling rivalry to happen
Regardless of how well Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have prepared Archie for Lili's arrival, her presence is bound to come with some sibling rivalry. As College of New Jersey professor of psychology, Jeanine Vivona, tells The New York Times, "competition with siblings is just a fact of life. And we, as people with siblings and people with children, can just try to manage it as best we can."
But even if the Montbatten-Windsor kids take swipes at each other from time to time, another expert, Pennsylvania State University research professor, Mark Ethan Feinberg, points out that battles between brothers and sisters tend to diminish as siblings head toward the teen years because it "levels off." But Feinberg also sounded a warning that Harry and Meghan would do well to remember, which is that "Early and middle childhood are particularly difficult times for sibling aggression"... which means Archie may not stay thrilled about Lili's presence after a while.