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Some birthday gifts just aren’t going to happen, even for British royalty. Prince Archie, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son who turned 5 on May 6, 2024, reportedly missed out on a “superb” birthday gift costing thousands of dollars from his grandfather, King Charles III. The reason, according to a royal author and commentator, is because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were concerned it’d remind Archie too much of royal life. 

King Charles wanted to give Archie an elaborate playhouse for his birthday 

In the lead-up to Archie’s birthday, Tom Quinn, author of Gilded Youth, a book about growing up in the royal family, discussed potential birthday gifts. Particularly one from King Charles with a hefty price tag. 

The king, Quinn told Express, “suggested that he give Archie a playhouse. Not a plastic child’s playhouse, but a superb hand-made shepherd’s hut, complete with bunks and bookshelves.” 

The monarch, 75, returned to public duties on April 29, 2024, after approximately 11 weeks due to cancer treatment, which is ongoing. Meanwhile, Archie and his younger sister, Princess Lilibet, 2, live with Harry and Meghan in Montecito, California. 

“Charles hates the idea that Harry might think he favours [sic] one grandchild over another,” Quinn claimed. 

King Charles is a grandfather of five. There are Prince William and Kate Middleton’s kids—Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — as well as Archie and Lilibet. 

“He has already given Prince George a similar hut which reputedly cost a cool £18,000,” or roughly $22,500, according to the author. So what stopped King Charles, someone who has an estimated net worth of $750 million, from buying one for Archie? 

“He would love to give Archie something similar but knows that Meghan and Harry are against it,” Quinn said. 

Meghan doesn’t want Archie to have a constant reminder of the royal family 

As for why Harry and Meghan are opposed to Archie getting a top-of-the-line playhouse, Quinn claimed it’s because the former Suits star would rather not encourage the 5-year-old’s “interest” in his own “royal connections.” 

“Meghan wants Archie to associate his birthday with all things American because Archie is already constantly asking about his royal family in the UK,” he said. 

“Archie loves the idea that his grandad lives in a castle,” the author went on. “And Meghan is worried that a magnificent shepherd’s hut or similar extravagant present will only increase Archie’s growing interest in his royal connections.” 

A source close to Harry and Meghan has since “denied” Quinn’s claim they vetoed the king’s potential birthday gift idea for Archie. Some of the gifts Archie received in the past include charitable donations made in his name and a waffle maker for Christmas from the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

Meghan Markle previously said Archie’s not getting a Leica camera

In 2023, Meghan revealed one gift Archie wouldn’t get, a Leica camera. Talking with director and photographer Misan Harriman, who is also a friend, during a discussion about his film The After alongside star David Oyelowo, Meghan shared a little bit about Harriman’s influence on Archie.

“The inspiration runs deep,” Meghan told the audience during a Q&A session (via Elle). “Misan was showing him how to do photography the last time he was with us, and I bought Archie a camera.” 

“He said, ‘But it’s not a Leica like Misan,’” to which Meghan replied, “‘You are not getting a Leica! Not even for Christmas.’ So thank you for the inspiration across the board,” she told Harriman.

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