Everything We've Learned About Baby Archie in His 1st Year

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Can you believe baby Archie is already turning one? It seems like just yesterday proud parents Meghan Markle and Prince Harry introduced their firstborn (formally known as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor) to the world. Yet here we are, 365 days later! And baby Archie has just gotten more precious with each passing month — at least from what we know about the little redheaded royal which, thanks to his Mum and Dad, is actually a good deal.

To recap, let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane to May 6, 2019. Because, c’mon, a lot has happened since baby Archie made his way into the world. At the time, Meghan and Harry still lived in the U.K. as acting senior royals of the British monarchy. Even so, they chose to buck tradition when it came to giving birth. Instead of dutifully having Archie in the maternity wing at St. Mary’s Hospital as Kate Middleton did with all three of her little heirs, Meghan and Harry opted for the American-owned, upscale, private Portland Hospital.

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Now, as baby Archie celebrates his first birthday, the Sussex family lives in California. And the smallest Sussex has packed a whole lot into his life — including, but obviously not limited to, blessing us with his royal cuteness every time he makes a public appearance. So, in celebration of this milestone day, let’s look at what we’ve learned about baby Archie so far.

He’s a mover and a shaker

According to mom Meghan, her son is a ball of energy. While attending the annual Endeavour Fund Awards in March, she confessed in casual conversation with attendee Claire Spencer that baby Archie is “into everything.”

Harry also alluded to his son’s exuberance during a 30-minute virtual meeting with a group of U.K. parents and caretakers tied to his children’s charity patronage, WellChild. “You’ve got to celebrate those moments where you are just on the floor rolling around in hysterics. Inevitably, half an hour later, maybe a day later, there’s going to be something that you have to deal with and there’s no way you can run away from it,” Harry said while discussing the coronavirus quarantine.

He continued, alluding to the fact that parenting special needs children amid the quarantine is inherently harder — and that’s saying a lot since parenting, in general, is tough stuff. “The resilience and strength that you guys have is absolutely incredible. You must never, ever, ever, ever forget that. Of course, there are going to be hard days — I can’t even imagine how hard it is for you guys,” he told them, adding the personal aside, “Having one kid at 11 months old is enough!”

His great-grandma has a soft spot for him

It’s long been speculated that Queen Elizabeth II has a serious soft spot for Harry, so it’s not terribly surprising she’d feel the same about Harry’s child. According to Entertainment Tonight, the family wished Her Majesty the Queen a happy 94th birthday in the most special way: a videochat with her great-grandson.

What’s more, the Sussexes reportedly originally planned to spend baby Archie’s first birthday in Scotland with the queen. And although the pandemic derailed those plans, it stands to reason she’ll probably squeeze in more FaceTime with her favorite tiny redhead.

He has a super-cute nickname

Let’s be real: Archie is one of those names that, in and of itself, sort of sounds like a nickname. But during the family’s 10-day royal tour of South Africa last year, Meghan let her son’s actual nickname slip. In a video of the Sussexes visiting with human rights activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, Meghan tells baby Archie, “Say hello! Hello, hi.” Upon realizing the tot has let a conspicuous string of drool loose, she blurts out, “Oh, Bubba!” One word: adorable.

He’s Harry’s lookalike

It was the question on everyone’s mind when baby Archie was born: Would he inherit his dad’s signature red hair? Shortly after his birth, before any photos of said hair surfaced, reports suggested that trait had come to fruition. That seemed to be confirmed further last September when Ellen DeGeneres revealed she got to hold the little boy. “He looks just like Harry, and he had more hair than I did at the time,” she playfully shared.

It isn’t just baby Archie’s hair that has longtime fans of the royal family doing double-takes, though. At the start of Harry and Meghan’s Africa tour, baby Archie donned a white knit hat with a pom-pom that looked very similar to the one Princess Diana had then-four-month-old Harry wear during a trip to Scotland all the way back in 1985.

Harry’s little doppelganger? We love it.

He likes to toddle on the wild side

As soon as news broke that Meghan and Harry had switched up baby Archie’s birthday plans to be more quarantine-friendly, a natural curiosity emerged about the little boy’s party. What would his celebration consist of? Besides, with Meghan having been a successful lifestyle blogger, you get the sense she’d create a Pinterest-worthy toddler fete.

Truth be told, we may never get to see photos of the party. However, we do have a general idea of baby Archie’s birthday theme. “Archie’s such an animal lover,” a source revealed to Us Weekly. “He has tons of animal books and fluffy toys.” As such, Meghan reportedly planned her son’s celebration around this passion.

Bonus? It looks like his great-grandma is honoring baby Archie’s love of animals, too. “The Queen has her sights set on a beautiful rocking horse,” a separate source noted, adding that Archie’s animal toys tend to “keep him occupied for hours.”

He’s got his dad wrapped

In the Sussexes’ year-end review of 2019, a rare photo of the toddler popped up in the family’s video montage. Believed to have been taken in Canada, where they were staying at the time, the snapshot shows a smiling Archie in the arms of his dad — who is smiling even bigger. And seriously, the love Harry has for his son is so palpable you can practically feel it coming out of the family photo.

Really, Archie seems to have had his dad wrapped around his little finger from day one. And vice versa, come to think of it. Last June, a mere month after Archie’s birth, the Sussexes shared a Father’s Day tribute on social media. In the accompanying photo, baby Archie’s little hand sweetly clutches his dad’s finger.

He’s a “social butterfly”

In news that comes as little surprise given who his parents are, baby Archie has already proven to be a people person. “You can tell Archie’s going to be a confident social butterfly,” a source told Us Weekly in December. “He loves being entertained and interacting with new people. Some people get shy or nervous around new people, but not Archie. He’ll go to anyone without kicking up a fuss!”

He’s already a pro traveler

At just one-year-old, baby Archie has seen more of the world than many people see in their lifetime. And, just as impressively, he seems to have taken it in as much stride as you could possibly hope for out of a toddler. Cuddling with human rights activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu (not to mention flirting with his adult daughter!) in Africa, visiting his maternal grandma Doria Ragland in the U.S., going for long walks with his parents in British Columbia — baby Archie goes with the flow.

Of course, he is a toddler. During their Africa tour, Meghan shared that the family had to plan their travel agenda around Archie’s feeding schedule. At times, she even had to skip out of in-person appearances in favor of Skyping with baby Archie sleeping nearby. And according to People, Harry admitted that Archie occasionally needs some travel downtime. “He’s not grouchy, just exhausted,” Harry said after a long flight.

His royal cousins adore him

He may not get to see them quite as much anymore, but that doesn’t mean baby Archie doesn’t share a special bond with his royal cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. According to Us Weekly, the two older cousins especially dote on Archie. “Charlotte treats Meghan and Harry’s son like a little doll and is always asking for him,” the insider claimed.

Before you go, see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.

Launch Gallery: 100 Best Photos of the Royal Family From the Past 20 Years

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