The day Queen Elizabeth II passed away was supposed to be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s final day in the UK. They had done a four-day mini-tour with events in Manchester, Dusseldorf and they were scheduled to appear at a London event on that Thursday. The event? The WellChild Awards, one of Prince Harry’s favorite patronages. He loves kids and he loves spending time with the families of kids who have health struggles. When he married Meghan, she came with him to the awards, and she was planning to attend that evening. Then QEII passed away and the Sussexes had to cancel their appearance. The WellChild event went on that night, although it was apparently much more subdued.
In any case, Harry still wanted to see those kids and spend a little time with the families, so he worked with WellChild to set up some Zoom calls with the families. WellChild posted the video online:
First he spoke to 4-year-old Henry Waines and his parents Shevonne and Ben. Little Henry seems like a very happy, spirited boy and Harry bonded with him over names, because Harry’s real name is Henry too. The parents said that Henry was actually named after Harry, because they liked the name so much. Harry gushed over Henry’s voice, saying: “You sound just like my son Archie…you have the same little squeaky voice. I love it.” The parents asked about Archie and Lilibet, and Harry said “They’re doing great… Archie is very, very busy and Lili is learning to use her voice which is great.” Then Harry spoke to Shakeerah, who speaks through sign language. Harry attempted some ASL and it was very sweet.
Harry also spoke to Isabelle Delaney, who has a service dog, so of course Harry talked about dogs. Harry told her about the Sussexes’ three dogs: “I tell you what, we all need a dog that keeps us calm. I’ve got three in this house now. So, we basically have five children. I’ve got a black Labrador called Pula, a rescue beagle called Guy. And we got another rescue beagle called Mia. And between the three of them, they charge around chasing squirrels and causing all sorts of problems to us, every single day. But they are also emotional support dogs 100% — when they’re behaving.”
In Hello’s coverage of the calls, they truly wrote, “The Duke of Sussex shares his two children with his wife Meghan Markle. The couple are raising their family in Santa Barbara, California. Their lavish Montecito mansion features everything from a spa and tennis court to an outdoor pool and private playground.” Jeez, I hope every time William and Kate do an event, they mention their lavish five homes, one of which is g–damn Windsor Castle.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WellChild.
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, CANADA ** London, UNITED KINGDOM – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Seen Leaving The Wellchild Wards at The Royal Lancaster Hotel. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 15 OCTOBER 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: Timmie / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, CANADA ** London, UNITED KINGDOM – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attend the WellChild Awards Ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, UK. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 15 OCTOBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I thought they don’t have a lavish home since they are just poor D-listers with their poor D-listers home
Yeah, wasn’t Tina Brown saying “it’s not very pleasant” to be in such modest accommodations and that Harry was gonna get ditched for Elon Musk when Meg decided she’d had enough embarrassing poverty and traded up?
These losers can’t make up their minds.
The narrative is pretty confused at this point: they’re obscenely wealthy but not as obscenely wealthy as they should be!🤑
This made me cry! Beautiful! Helping these kids and families
That was just Tina Brown crushing on Elon Musk and thinking if she’s crushing on him everyone else must be also including Meghan
There’s not being able to make up one’s mind and then there’s whiplash inducing changes. Above it says that Hello magazine wrote that H & M were raising their children in “Santa Barbara” then in the very next sentence it referred to their home as a “Montecito mansion.” Which is it Hello, Santa Barbara or Montecito?
The best reponse of all to the sh*tstream coming out of the UK tabloids was Meghan reading “Breathe” during her podcast. Sums it up perfectly.
here’s a link to the audio and the words if you haven’t seen it.
https://twitter.com/TvKhaleesi/status/1579803668739952641?s=20&t=J3tQOdPNbZ_Ax2ggmEu4eA
Thank you for that, Susan. I needed it today. Meghan is just lovely and that poem is perfect.
Oh I love that poem!! 🥹 I just got back from Vancouver Island and walked amongst the giant trees there – it was so very soothing.
William and Kate pretend to be “normal” so people will like them. But they also have to be seen as “winners” compared to the Sussexes, so there will be two narratives going — first, that William and Kate are down-to-earth regular people, hands-on parents, living the simple country life, just like regular people! Wouldn’t you love to have a pint with them? And the second narrative is that THEY are the true power couple, with huge castles and wealth, and Harry and Meghan are sad losers who could never match the splendor and wealth of the royal family! They will run the two narratives at the same time because why not? The royalists and Sussex haters react on emotion and won’t think it through logically.
Nice summary, @MrsKrabapple! You nailed it.
I love when we get to see Harry and Meghan interact with people. Harry is so good at it here and he really relates to people over zoom. And I appreciate the updates on A&L. 🙂
Its so strange to keep mentioning things that are being paid through someones own hard work and not taxpayers or ill gotten gains.Whats their angle!?
I havre a relative who haaates Meghan so I will share what they’ve told me. They hate that she “stole” Harry from his family, and they hate their success. They think because Harry and Meghan are working for those who are disadvantaged they should live in a two bedroom apartment in a bad neighborhood. Basically it comes down to they feel Meghan doesn’t deserve nice things (and yes this relative is racist). And I think this relative is hateful, by the way!
Please do inform this relative that meghan had nice things before she married her husband.
There’s nothing wrong with a two-bedroom apartment and nothing wrong with a nice house. God doesn’t care about your address. If their hearts are in the right place and they’re not harming anyone, then good for them I say.
Hmmm…did she think Diana should have settled for the same since she also worked for the disadvantaged?
My theory is that a lot of Brits equate Harry rejecting royal life is a rejection of the UK and therefore them because the royal family is baked into their identity and sense of superiority. They can’t accept that Harry didn’t want them and therefore must blame Meghan for all. Also, because they’ve been rejected, Harry and Meghan must suffer for leaving them. The idea of them being happy without them is unthinkable.
@GreenGirl yeah I’ve seen that argument before. it’s tiresome and hypocritical (bc it never applies to the royals) and does come down to “the black duchess doesn’t deserve what the white royals do.”
I have a good friend who is kind of the epitome of what we talk about when we say “minivan moms” “(even though she doesn’t have one and I do lol), like she still gets People mag delivered to her house, etc, and when H&M bought their house she was like “well I just think its too grand, they could have found something more modest.”
Enter me, puling up pictures of the other royal houses – Anne’s, Edward’s, etc – to show her lol.
Becks, that’s funny because basically every stereotypical suburban minivan mom person I know has bought the largest, most expensive house they can possible afford on their income. It’s such an American thing to have way more house than you actually “need,” and the want it to be on a much bigger lot than you actually “need,” and in the most expensive school district even though no one “needs” that either.
I used to be a nanny and when the families first had kids they were still living in expensive suburban homes with 2.5 bathrooms and 3-4 bedrooms with a large grassy yard. And yet still, every single one of the families I nannied for upgraded after a couple of years as soon as they could possibly swing it financially to something even bigger, with more bathrooms, with more bedrooms, with more lawn, with bigger landscaping, with 2 or 3 living rooms, a full dining room, each kid in their own bedroom plus a couple of guest bedrooms, kitchen on the main floor and downstairs so they could entertain in the “family room” too.
And these are the same type of people who think Meghan and Harry’s house is too big? Because they don’t “need” all that space, lol. Because it’s just expensive for the sake of being expensive. I’m sure if Meghan and Harry bought a home at the super top of their price range it would have even MORE bedrooms and bathrooms and gardens and pool houses and guest houses. So really, comparatively, it’s like Meghan and Harry are still living in the nice, big enough, still pretty expensive “starter house” that all of these minivan moms moved out of the second they could.
The Wailses and other royals just can’t deal with the fact that H&M have bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. (One of the many downsides of the shabby Buck Palace – guests have had to share bathrooms over the years….19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.)
Harry, Meghan and their children are such a beautiful family. Harry and Meghan should make sure Archie and Lili grow up far away from their toxic royal relatives up in Salty Island. I can only imagine the racist things they would be exposed to if they were growing up in London. Screw royal titles and lavish palaces. All they need is to grow up with their loving parents, nothing else.
I so appreciate how Prince Henry puts baby Henry to the frorefront so effortlessly, how humbly and gently he interacts with the parents. A selfless teachable moment Catherine-centered Kate could perhaps learn from?
Archie is booked and busy! I joke, but it sounds like he’s got a full schedule of school and probably other activities. I bet he has lots of play dates.
the obsession with their house, my god. I know there are nice houses in England. Charles and William live in some of them. Can you imagine a story including a tidbit like “King Charles, who spends some of his time at a lavish estate in Norfolk that he did not pay inheritance taxes, and another lavish estate in Scotland, and sometimes he’s in a lavish palace in London, with hundreds of rooms between the estates” – it would be absurd, but it would at least make more sense since the public is on the hook for those estates (I know Sandringham and Balmoral are private, but he still got them tax-free which hurts the public.)
Anyway these zoom talks were super cute and I love that he followed up with these families after missing the event. Love that Lili is starting to use her voice.
Don’t forget “lavish estate in Gloucester he now rents from his son’s duchy”
Damn it, I’m so embarrassed I forgot about that one 😂😂
He “shares” his children with his wife? We typically only use “share” when a couple isn’t together. Otherwise, it’s “has.”
That was an odd phrase!
You’d say that about a divorced couple with dual custody! They’re already living in their deranged fantasy future where they aren’t married anymore.
Apparently there IS a multiverse and the UK is in its own alternative reality from the rest of the world.
Oh ‘shares’ seems to be a new style thing every outlet has adopted. I see it all the time for all kinds of couples.
I suppose it saves the awkwardness of getting it wrong for blended families, when some children may be biologically related and others may be step-children, with varying degrees of parental responsibility going on.
It’s definitely not just a Harry and Meghan thing.
Lol – and you only ever see that term used in an article like this, not in normal conversation.
It always makes me laugh – you share toys, not children.
I actually noticed they used it in the Fail recently for an article about Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. I really don’t think it has any coded significance.
Maybe it’s a British phrasing, they use the same words for Kate and William
I love how natural harry was when speaking with those children. And that funny face he made, really endearing.
The little guy (Tony?) who told Harry the joke was delightful, and Harry’s response was so funny! I LOLed at Harry’s reaction, but the joke was very cute, too.
Agreed! Harry’s charm and charisma is off the charts! I would literally watch him read a list of ingredients off a box.
I watched the video yesterday and was enchanted by how wonderful Harry is with those kids and their families. He was so touching with the family who couldn’t put their twins on camera because they were having a very bad day, and the family whose university age son became a caregiver for his younger sister, who has passed away, Harry instinctively knows the right approach and tone to take with each child and family. While he is certainly his mother’s son, he didn’t take credit for the grant(s) that her trust provided to the family that has started the moon run fundraising mission. Deft touch in every case. It was heartwarming and inspiring.
I saw a clip of him with some of the professionals (I need a better term for this. I know this woman was a nurse). And she was praising him and his find raising. Specifically the Diana Memorial Fund. He was really deft at kindly taking the praise but letting them know that they’re the ones who are really important and doing the hard work. He and Meghan are so good with things like this.
They really are good at immediately connecting with people. This is the “charisma” we all talk about. Sure, you can get training in what to say to strangers on a walkabout, for instance, but to be instantly warm, engaging, caring, and genuinely interested and likeable, is something else again. You either have it or you don’t. I’m sure the Wales’ know how to press the flesh and make small talk with people eho come out to see them, but they have never struck me as warm or genuinely caring about their subjects; it’s just part of the job. A job that must be the most lucrative in the world if worked out at an hourly rate, plus perks, and paid for out of the public purse. No wonder they want to protect it, no matter the cost.
My translation is Archie is into everything and Lili is saying some words. I’m not posh.
And the doggos are little maniacs but also 100% Good Boys who are loved on and given lots of treats.
Cute doggos, yes! 🐶 Guy is the only boy, btw. Pula and Mia (the recent beagle rescue) are both girls. 😄
I don’t think it’s posh, just 21st century parent speak. Like, I have to say that my kid is spirited instead of a brat. Lol. 🤣
I’ve only seen clips of this so far but all of it was really endearing. Hopefully I’ll get around to the full video today.
@kaiser I don’t know how significant this is to the signing community but Shakeerah used BSL. I’m only mentioning this bc a deaf white American actress had to issue a whole statement bc of the backlash she got saying that there’s no such thing as African American Sign Language. I’m thinking if that’s distinct, than so is British Sign Language.
Harry is a natural … some people are just born with this high EQ and he has it in spade!!!
Just like his Mom!
Seeing Prince Harry interacting with children always brings a smile to my face.. loved this🤗💞
These writers can’t help revealing their agendas when writing about the Sussexes. The loaded language is a way to other people when they are simply living their lives.
This was so cute. Harry lights up every time he talks about his children. Archie and Lili must absolutely adore him.
Side note, the tabloids have been rampant with making up rumors that the Sussexes have moved/are moving from their Montecito mansion to “downsize” because they’re poor or whatever. This video put those rumors to bed lol
The video is lovely! Harry is just really good with people. I know people want to credit that as a natural talent and a legacy of his mother which to a certain extent it is but that sort of EQ takes effort and work to cultivate. He is warm, kind, and very importantly curious about others and that is what makes him so good at this. Note how he asks the families follow up questions- like with the Henry name story.
I have said it a lot and i will say it again, love that he, Meghan, their little ones and dogs are thriving away from the noise.
Also, every time the media mentions his house I roll my eyes to high heavens- the royals live in multiple properties all the time including castles but sure let’s count Harry’s bedrooms. Just yuck.
William- a 40 years old man who does not enjoy working and only do ir sparingly.
Harry on Archie, a 3 years old child. ” He is very, very busy.”
KKKate- a 40 ´s years old woman whose own PR constantly pushes the idea she is still trying to find her own voice.
Harry on LIly, his toddler daughter. ” She is learning to use her voice.”
😂🤣
We all knew Archie was a busy bee when he kept kicking up a storm in Meghan’s belly lol when she was pregnant with him and Lili seems like such a chill baby.
Prince continues to do the work from his poor man’s cottage. It’s a joy to see him so relaxed, getting and giving support.
This is such a lovely write up – just a quick comment though am pretty sure Harry would have been using BSL (British Sign Language) and not ASL as he was signing to people in Britain, not America. (Contrary to what people might think they are two completely different and distinct languages, with only about 30% of signs overlapping). I haven’t watched the video but it’s possible if the girl in question had developmental disabilities they could be using the Makaton language (people in the Uk will know this from Justin Fletcher & Something Special) but in other write-ups I’ve seen they just described it as BSL.
It’s funny that Harry saying his name is Henry, but he’s always known as Harry and he doesn’t know why. He Literally did the same thing to his daughter when he named her Lilibet but he’s always calling her Lili 🙃
People have speculated the reason for that is for less publicity in her day to day life with her actual name and/or to pay homage to Lillie Ragland. In which case, there will be reason that will be explained to her eventually and I’m sure she can choose to continue or not as she wishes.
“ For less publicity in her day to day..” Then they should not have named her Lilibet.
Lol, stop. They “should” have named their kid whatever they wanted, and they did.
Lili is quite obviously a shortened version of Lilibet, and it’s very common for parents to name their child a longer “formal” name and then almost always go by a short version or nickname. (It’s equally as common for people to go by their middle name instead of their first, but I digress.) So, Lilbet –> Lili is very linear. Henry –> Harry isn’t linear at all! It’s the same amount of syllables, just a completely different name. I’d be curious to learn how/why they got to calling him Harry instead of Henry. Maybe Di just liked the name Harry but had to go with Henry for royal history?
Harry is a pretty typical nickname for Henry in England; it was the “Middle English” form of Henry and the popular nickname of famous English kings like Henry VIII. If you watch footage of him and William as toddlers, they were already calling him Harry then. I agree it makes less sense in the modern era. Maybe it was just an old-timey tradition they started and it stuck.
I think they even said when they announced his name that he would go by Harry, so its been his whole life.
I think more people nowadays are just using the nickname they like rather than the full version, I think there used to be a concern or thought process that nicknames were fine but then you also needed a “full” name as an adult. My name is a NN of a longer name and I kind of don’t like it because I prefer the full name but I’m stuck with the NN bc I don’t respond when people use the full name, LOL. Lili vs. Lilibet is an easier transition if she ever wanted to go by the full name.
Both my children use nicknames, so I did it to them too, LOL, but the one is easer (the name of Harry’s brother lol) and the other is more similar to a Harry vs. Henry situation, where the name definitely derives from the full name but its also definitely a nickname, not just a shortened version of the name. so I think he’s stuck with that one, LOL.
sorry kiddo.
but in general I think its more common now just to name a child Harry if you like Harry, or Kate if you like Kate, rather than Henry or Katherine.
As long as we’re on this topic, does ANYONE know how “Peggy” ever became a nickname for “Margaret?” This one drives me crazy. With most nicknames (not all, but many), you can at least see how they got there. But this one baffles me.
ETA: hand to god this is not an excuse to start William jokes, I’m genuinely curious and only realized the coincidence after I posted it!
Eh. I feel like if that was the case they would have said that. Or just straight up named her Lili instead of using Lilbet. But they didn’t.
@Lorelei — Over the years, Margaret morphed into Maggie then into Meggie and Meg, likely because of different accents changing the vowel sound. There’s a history of rhyming traditions that continues today with Cockney rhyming slang, and it eventually changed many names into rhyming nicknames. Hence, Margaret changed into the Peggy and Peg we know today. It’s the same reason we have Bill from William, Edward into Ned, Mary into Molly then Polly, etc.
To Pumpkin – Not understanding the idea of “if that was the case they would have said it”. They don’t tell us every detail nor should they need to. That’s why I said it’s been speculated that this was the case.
I remember when Harry was born and it was announced his name was Henry but he would be called Harry. It was said that Diana did not like any of the royal names being considered, including Albert and Alfred. Diana settled on Henry as the name she least disliked. But she insisted that he always be called Harry, which she liked better than Henry. I’m surprised Harry doesn’t know this. But apparently, Diana never talked about it to Harry during the 12 years they had together.
@C: Thank you for taking the rhetorical “bullet” by answering people who STILL seem to have oddly personal feelings about what Harry and Meghan chose to name their own daughter. This seemed to be quite an emotional response to a child’s name, when as I recall, on the announcement for Lili’s birth and name it said that her full name was Lilibet, but she would be called “Lili” which is similar to Harry’s birth announcement that he would be called “Harry” even though his name was “Henry.”
Henry/Harry seems a lot like John/Jack. Although Jack is a hugely popular name now it also used to be a nickname for John. President Kennedy’s name was John, but he was called Jack.
The video was really sweet and I was struck by how humble Harry is. He didn’t need to apologize to the families for not being at the awards but he did. He’s a very thoughtful person.
I watched this video yesterday in the morning and I was surprised I watched it in full & how uplifting I found it! The kids were so impressive, cute & funny & the parents were so warm. I appreciated how real the parents with the twins were about their challenges & social isolation they’ve felt & it was good to hear that they were getting more resources & support. It was such a good example of actually highlighting the charity & why certain support is needed.
Harry was really down to earth & engaged. It was nice how the families asked about his family & how the Diana award had supported one of the families directly. When you hear royal experts like Tina Brown talk about how Diana would be disappointed in Harry etc it’s nice to see a member of the public say to Harry that Diana would be proud. He seemed quite touched by that.
I am going to donate to WellChild when I’m paid in a few days & hope they meet their fundraising goals. Harry mentioned it was a challenging time for the charity.
In all house related fairness, the montecito mansion is probably nicer than most of the royal properties just because it’s actually maintained, insulated and built in a time of proper building regs.
Not surprised everyone is so jealous they can’t stop talking about it ha! Leaky windows, drafts under doors, creaking floors and stone walls cold to the touch is a definite downgrade no matter how many of them you’ve claimed from the public.
I don’t know, maybe the comment on the house was a clap back to Tina Brown’s stupid “humble cottage” remark? I’m glad the Sussexes are doing well, contrary to the hopes and wishes of the derangers, the Unroyals and the trashloids. And Harry is so cute with the kids, I’m glad he’s still committed to this UK charity and its obvious it means a lot to him and to the families.
This is a lovely cleanse for all the filth spewed out by the rota and their paymasters.
Harry is a creature of light. It’s impossible not to smile and bask in his warmth when watching.
Harry looks good! Happiness really suits him 😊
Like his mother before him Harry is fantastic at talking with a wide variety of people. Giving speeches on a world stage, chatting with the rich, fabulous, and political, regular families and kids, dogs, etc.
I’m so glad he escaped his crappy family and is living life on HIS terms.
Harry doesn’t center himself in these conversations — he centers the families and their children. And it’s heartwarming to watch, especially as he seems genuinely delighted and moved by the kids. Kids know authenticity when they see it.
Harry + kids is always a winning combination for me. He’s always loved being around kids.
How is Harry even hotter? His face looks toned the way someone who works out does. He just seems youthful and relaxed. At his age, pushing 40, one could be very youthful still or go the other direction (which *some* men in his family have demonstrated). His good looks are only partly genetics. The rest is definitely lifestyle and mindset.
Harry definitely has a glow about him now. You are right that his good looks only being part genetics. He is clearly in a good place now and is looking younger and healthier.
Harry seem to have settled into the Joys and rhythm of marriage.
He has earned his contentment, looks the picture of health.
He eats his vegetables, drinks enough water and exercises.
He enjoys his wife and children.
He has been tested and have built character.
Being ever mindful of his humanity, I send good energy his way.
His mother would’ve be proud that he has love, peace and joy.
@Well Wisher……youre in name as in nature 🙂
I concur with this post. Beautifully said.
@Well Wisher what a lovely post. I agree. Every day that Harry is happy and kind and giving and loved and loving, his mother smiles in heaven. I truly believe that. Every moment of contentment and fulfillment he enjoys is a victory for her.
Such a lovely sentiment
Yikes, just read on nu.nl that C the t’ird has chosen Archie’s birthday (May 6th) as his coronation date, not June 3rd.
What an asshat! So of all the days, he selects Archie’s birthday and it’s a coincidence?
Now there will be months of speculation as to whether or not he’ll invite his own son?
This self absorbed flake deserves whatever he’s remembered for, smdh at the optics.
Hmmm, if it was going to be June 3, Lili’s birthday is June 4. So either or, both dates are near/on the birthdays of Chuck’s younger grandchildren whom he has so far refused to acknowledge as HRH Prince/ Princess! 🙄
Awww, Princess Lili is starting to talk. How sweet!
This really made me laugh, because I remember saying things like this about my kiddos when they were little. Translations: “He’s very, very busy” = “he’s into everything all the time and when he’s not jumping off the furniture he’s whanging into the walls just for fun.” “She’s learning to use her voice” = “she screams a lot and says ‘No!’ to everything.”
In other words: yup, they’re small children, driving their parents crazy like small children do! 🙂