Meghan Markle on April 23, 2025; Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie.Credit : Craig Barritt/Getty; Meghan Markle/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

Meghan Markle marked Prince Archie’s 7th birthday with a rare Instagram post featuring new family photos
The images include a sweet moment between Prince Archie and his younger sister, Princess Lilibet
Meghan called Archie “our sweet boy” in the caption, offering a glimpse into the family’s private life in California

Prince Archie is turning 7, and Meghan Markle is marking the milestone with a personal tribute.

The Duchess of Sussex celebrated her son’s birthday on May 6 with a new Instagram post, offering a rare glimpse into their family life. Archie, the eldest child of Meghan and Prince Harry, was born in May 2019, with the couple later welcoming daughter Princess Lilibet, now 4, in June 2021.

“7 years later…happy birthday to our sweet boy 🤍,” captioned the post, which featured two photos capturing moments from Archie’s life.

One previously unseen image shows Harry cradling a newborn Archie on the couch, the baby fast asleep on his chest, wrapped in a blanket. A second, more recent image captures Archie and Lilibet walking side by side along a beach near their Montecito home, with Archie holding a walking stick and both children’s red hair — inherited from their dad — catching the light.

Prince Harry and Prince Archie.Meghan Markle/Instagram

Since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, have been raising their children in Montecito, California — building what the duchess has described as a sense of “normalcy” for their family.

“Once you know us, I think you want us to have the same normalcy as parents and for our children as they do,” Meghan previously told PEOPLE, reflecting on the life they’ve created in their California community.

That normalcy includes “day dates” with Archie.

“Archie and I like to go and have lunch, share a burger and a Caesar salad, and have an ice cream sundae with two cherries on top,” she said.

Though the Sussexes largely keep their children out of the spotlight, Meghan has begun sharing occasional glimpses of Archie and Lilibet on both her personal and As ever Instagram accounts since returning to the platform in 2025. Both children have inherited their dad’s signature red hair — a trait Harry once said comes straight from his mother, Princess Diana’s side of the family.

While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are raising their children outside of the spotlight, Meghan has given glimpses of her kids on her personal and As ever brand Instagram pages since rejoining the platform in 2025.

Both Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have inherited Harry’s red hair, a trait which the Duke of Sussex said comes from his mother Princess Diana’s side of the family.

“Definitely my mum. The ginger gene is a strong one!” Harry said during a 2023 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, adding, “The Spencer gene is very, very strong.”

“I actually really, genuinely thought at the beginning of my relationship [with Meghan] that should this go the distance and we have kids that there’s no way the ginger gene will stand up to my wife’s genes, but I was wrong! Go gingers.”