Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have left their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, at home as they embarked on their solo four-day trip to Australia, but they haven't shied away from including their kids in their busy schedule in the past.
In her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, the Duchess of Sussex previously opened up about how she had planned for motherhood to blend with her work life prior to giving birth to her first child in 2019. "I will say, for myself – especially when they are baby babies and, yes, the crying, before I was mum, I’ve always wanted to be a mum," Meghan, 43, said. "I was like 'Oh gosh, I’m going to give a speech with a baby on my hip'."
However, she revealed this did not go to plan. "I had a whole vision – and then you fast forward… granted I had a lot of external things happening by the time I had both pregnancies and both babies. But it was not the way I envisioned it."
© GettyThe closest her children have come to joining her on a royal engagement was in September 2019, when a 10-month-old Prince Archie experienced a rule-breaking royal first we all forgot.
Archie's rule-breaking first
© PoolThe young royal joined his mother, as well as his father, Prince Harry, on a trip to South Africa amid his first royal tour. Meghan revealed that, in a turn of events that broke from royal tradition, the trip schedule was planned around Archie’s feeding times.
"We're doing well. I think the schedule – they have been very kind to me, because everything is based around Archie’s feed times," the former Suits actress admitted. "So it's a full plate, but we’re making it work. It's worth it."
The portion of the trip featuring an appearance from Prince Archie included a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
Archie warmed instantly to the former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, accepting a kiss on the head from him. The prince also offered an insight into his blossoming personality as he bobbed up and down on his mother's lap, seemingly unfazed by the presence of the press. "He's an old soul," Meghan said of Archie, while Harry added of the attention: "I think he is used to it already."
© GettyOther destinations on Harry and Meghan's charity-centred tour included Malawi, Angola, South Africa, and Botswana.
Royal rebels
Having experienced a complex relationship with royal tradition, Harry and Meghan have never been afraid to do things their own way when it comes to raising their children.
© GettyWhen Archie was born on 6 May 2019, his parents set the precedent. The news of a royal birth is usually shared on a ceremonial easel placed outside Buckingham Palace, however, the Sussexes opted to announce the news on Instagram and decided against a hospital photocall.
Later, Archie was christened in private, and the identity of his godparents has never been revealed.
© Instagram / @meghanParenting confession
During a visit to a men’s mental health charity in Melbourne, the Duke of Sussex made a rare comment about his "disconnected" experience as a new father. "Certainly, I felt a disconnection because my wife was the one creating life, and I was there to witness it," he began.
The doting father-of-two continued: "And I think for many guys, you try to think about what service can I provide at this point, because my work here is done to some extent."
The Duke went on to explain that although the early days are "a real struggle", you can see a shift with the right emotional awareness. "The biggest tip that I was given, actually, for my therapist in the UK was just be aware of how you feel once the baby is born."
