Welcome to a special ‘Royal baby’ edition of The Royalist—all the latest royal news and gossip with Tom Sykes and Tim Teeman. For Beast Inside members only.
‘He Said Archie Just Feels Part of the Family’
Prince Harry said he “can’t imagine life without his son,” Archie Harrison. Harry made the admission on a visit to Oxford Children’s Hospital to mother-of-two Ida Scullard, whose 3-year-old son, Emmett, is in remission from cancer, according to the Daily Mail. They started talking after Harry saw her holding her 10-month-old daughter.
“Harry asked me if she [my baby daughter] was over the stormy period as babies are supposed be grumpy for the first 10 weeks,” Scullard said.
“He said he’s getting used to the baby and how Archie has fitted into family life. He said he just feels part of the family and he can’t imagine life without his son.”
Former patient Daisy Wingrove handed Harry a teddy bear to give to Archie. He gave Wingrove a hug of thanks, and also spent lots of time greeting and taking photographs with the crowd outside, many of whom were waving Union Jack flags.
It was a moving and meaningful visit. Harry met many patients at the hospital, later visiting a sports center, the OXSRAD Disability Sports and Leisure Centre, that his mother Princess Diana opened in 1989.
Smelly Feet
While publicly everybody has been terribly nice about it, a certain amount of disquiet has privately greeted the photo of baby Archie’s foot posted on the SussexRoyal Instagram page to celebrate Mother’s Day last weekend.
Critics perceive a tension between, say, Harry and Meghan’s refusal to say what color their baby’s hair is on privacy grounds and their decision that when it suits them, they’ll share a trendy foot photo.
“It’s really not acceptable or dignified for them to protest about privacy and then drip-feed images of the baby, body part by body part, to their adoring public, to generate likes,” says Lady Colin Campbell, the royal writer who was a confidante of Princess Diana. “It’s very Kardashian. And there is a huge difference between being royal and being a Kardashian.”
Divided Loyalties
Meghan and Harry have made it clear they are not bothered if they rub the press the wrong way, but the Mother’s Day post actually annoyed a considerable number of people because it was not Mother’s Day in the UK.
In the UK, ‘Mothering Sunday’ is part of the church calendar, and is, quite literally, a moveable feast, falling three weeks before Easter Sunday. The Brits have got used to being subjected to American Mother’s Day since the advent of Instagram gave prominence to saccharine Mother’s Day posts by celebs showcasing their big hearts, but some can’t help thinking that becoming a member of the British royal family should involve adopting British observances.
Perhaps, in another break with tradition, Meghan, rather like staff at the American Embassy in London, will honor both British and American holidays?
Guest List
Better late than never, William and Kate did finally visit their new nephew at Frogmore Cottage on Tuesday. Their kids were not with them, however, so it may be a while longer before the 3rd, 4th, and 5th in line to the throne get to meet the 7th.
Royal Baby Fashion Watch
With Meghan and Master Archie only sighted at a strictly controlled press call (and pictures on Harry and Meghan’s Instagram account), only Harry has been out and about in public since. And he is looking not only overjoyed and brimming with proud joy, but also pretty damn sharp in his usual uniform of smart-casual jacket, white shirt, and the now very-familiar dark brown desert boots. Harry has mastered the tricky men’s fashion marriage of relaxed and formal. That beaming smile is the best accessory.
