Meghan Markle Joins Children's Book Reading at Invictus Games: 'She Was Missing' Archie and Lili
Meghan Markle was in mom mode as she joined kids and parents for a special storytime session at the Invictus Games.
Before returning to California to be with son Archie Harrison, 2, and daughter Lilibet Diana, 10 months, Meghan joined a children's book reading at the British Embassy tent at the Invictus Games on Sunday. In photos shared on Twitter Tuesday, the Duchess of Sussex is seen sitting on the floor with the group as she holds one of the youngsters in her lap.
Meghan, 40, also joined the children at a painting station. She painted a Ukrainian flag and wrote the word "peace."
RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Son Archie Almost Had a Different First Name
British Army veteran James Stride told the Daily Mail that Meghan was "quite chatty and told me she was missing her children. She said she wanted to be with children as she was missing her own."
Chris Allerton Meghan Markle
Stride read from the book Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy to the group — and Meghan shared that she knew the story well.
"Meghan told me she was familiar with the book and one that she read to her own children," he said. "She was very friendly, and the book was well known by her family."
Meghan is a children's book author herself — she published The Bench, inspired by the bond between Prince Harry and Archie, last year.
Chris Allerton Meghan Markle
During the reading event, Meghan also chatted with a parent who brought along a son named Harrison.
Sherry McBain, a nursing officer in the RAF competing in the Invictus Games, told PA her wife Mandy spoke with Meghan at the event when they realized the commonality in their children's names.
Chris Allerton Meghan Markle
"[Meghan] was like 'Harrison, that's Archie's middle name', and Mandy was like 'Yeah, I know,' " said McBain. "They were just having a chat because Harry and Meghan couldn't decide between Archie and Harrison for the first name."
Chris Allerton Meghan Markle
McBain described Meghan as "really open" and "very friendly" at the event, adding that Harrison was "just over the moon that a princess has read him a story, so that went down really well with all the U.K. children."
Harrison even showed off some of his artwork to Meghan.
"Harrison was drawing pictures and telling her that it was a picture of a tram," McBain said. "I don't think it quite looked like a tram, so she was very gracious and said that's a brilliant tram, so he was delighted."
Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
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Their kids were clearly on Meghan and Prince Harry's minds throughout the weekend. At the opening ceremony on Saturday, Prince Harry told the crowd about Archie's potential career aspirations.
"When I talk to my son Archie about what he wants to be when he grows up, some days it's an astronaut, other days it's a pilot — a helicopter pilot obviously — or Kwazii from Octonauts," Harry said with a laugh, adding, "if you're laughing, then you've seen that."
"But what I remind him is that no matter what you want to be when you grow up, it's your character that matters most, and nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today," he continued.
