Why Queen Elizabeth Doesn’t Care About Baby Archie’s Canada Move, According to a Royal Correspondent
It’s always hard when family moves far away. Grandparents especially feel the pain of distance from their grandchildren. So a lot of royal watchers felt for Queen Elizabeth when Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced they would be moving to Canada.
Not only would the queen lose her grandson and granddaughter-in-law, but her great-grandson Archie would be far away, too. Meghan and Harry recently had to return to England for their last royal engagements, but baby Archie stayed in Canada. This was a choice that had some people feeling sorry for the queen, but some royal experts think that pity is misplaced.
Queen Elizabeth takes her royal duties seriously
Being queen has been the most important work of Queen Elizabeth’s life. That includes motherhood. She has four children, but she made it clear early on that royal duties and maintaining the monarchy were more important to her than her personal life.
When Prince Charles and Princess Anne were both younger than 4 years old, Queen Elizabeth famously went on a six-month royal tour without them. She left them with a nanny.
These were the days before video calls and digital pictures on smartphones. The queen didn’t even get to catch glimpses of her kids over those six months.
Correspondent claims the queen is fine with Archie being in Canada
Although some royal insiders have said Queen Elizabeth is upset over Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave Archie at home, others claim it’s just not true. Keir Simmons, a correspondent for The Today Show, said the queen is probably fine with Archie staying back in Canada.
“Some of the British press are trying to paint Meghan and Harry’s decision not to bring baby Archie here to the U.K. as disappointing for the Queen. I’ve got to tell you guys, I think that is very unlikely. Anyone who knows the biography of the Queen will know that she really that’s isn’t into babies. I can almost guarantee she is not complaining that she isn’t seeing Archie right now.”
Simmons seems quite sure of this, and it makes sense. Plus, it’s hard to imagine Harry and Meghan disrespecting the queen if she really wanted to see Archie.
Even though they’re leaving the royal family, they’re still family. Prince Harry has always been a dutiful grandson. Harry and Meghan tried as hard as they could to make royal life work. Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen. Harry and Meghan feel they were forced to leave the U.K. to make a normal life for themselves and their son.
Queen Elizabeth’s relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Queen Elizabeth has always shown her fondness for her grandson Prince Harry. She and Harry seem to get along well, and she’s relied on him to help her carry out royal duties. She also gets along with her granddaughter-in-law, Meghan. The two have bonded over their shared love of dogs, among other things.
Plus, there might be less pressure involved in the queen’s relationship with Harry and Meghan. Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge are her heirs, so her interactions with them are different. She is training them to live the life of a monarch. That’s not the case with Harry and Meghan.
[Correction: An earlier version said Queen Elizabeth has three children, not four.]
