Prince Harry Gives a Rare Update on Kids Archie and Lilibet in Video Call

Gerald the giraffe!

Prince Harry
(Image credit: Getty)

We got a rare glimpse into the lives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, as proud dad Harry opened up about the two on a video call with the winners of the WellChild Awards, a cause long close to the Duke of Sussex’s heart.

According to Hello, Harry was speaking to four-year-old Henry Waines—who is just a year older than Archie, who is three—who won the Inspirational Child in the four to six years old category. According to the outlet, Henry was born with serious health problems and appeared on the call with his parents, Ben and Siobhan. Upon hearing Henry’s voice, Harry—who, fun fact, is actually a Henry as well (Harry is a nickname)—gushed “You sound just like my son Archie…You have the same little squeaky voice. I love it.”

Later, Henry’s parents asked Harry “How are Archie and Lilibet doing?” Harry’s reply? “They’re doing great…Archie is very, very busy and Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great.”

Harry wrapped up the call with Henry by telling him to “continue being the brave boy that you are, not just for your mum and dad, but for your little brother as well,” according to The Daily Express.

During a chat with 10-year-old Shakeerah Crowther, Harry spotted a giant giraffe balloon in the background. He asked “Shakeerah, how long have you had that giraffe for? Because Archie has a giraffe as well that has lasted a very long time, and we call him Gerald.”

Harry and Meghan were due to attend the WellChild Awards in London on the evening of September 8—but ultimately missed because the Queen passed away that afternoon at her beloved Balmoral Castle. This video call, which Harry took from his home in Montecito, California, was a chance to still celebrate the award winners.

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.