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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the decision earlier this year to remove themselves from the royal family. There were several factors involved in their decision to step back, but one was that the two wanted to give their only child, Archie, a more private life. But at what expense? Archie’s three cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, now live thousands of miles away. Will he ever be close with them?

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Archie
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Archie | Reuters/Toby Melville/Pool

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family in March

When the new year started, Harry and Meghan had just returned from a six-week break on Vancouver Island in Canada. The two had taken a step back from royal life after a fairly difficult year. Meghan had been at the center of negative press that ultimately led to a lawsuit, and her relationship with the public had diminished as a result.

When the two returned to the United Kingdom in January, though, it wasn’t back to business as usual. Rather, they made the surprising decision to step down as working royals and carve out a new place for themselves away from the royal family. Meghan and Harry then returned to Canada for several weeks. They came back to the U.K. to finish their final round of royal duties in early March, and their royal offices officially closed on March 31.

Harry, Meghan, and Archie are now living more than 5,000 miles from Archie’s cousins

Harry and Meghan took Archie to North America, where he would be able to live a more private life. Without the royal title and the ties to the royal family, Meghan and Harry felt that Archie had a better chance at achieving the privacy Harry was never given. In March, the two relocated from Canada to Los Angeles, California — about 5,400 miles from Archie’s cousins in the U.K.  

Archie reportedly had only met his cousins “a handful of times” before he moved across the pond, according to ET Online. Since he is still so young, he won’t remember those moments he shared with his cousins, which is why it’s important that he continues to make more memories with them through the years. But that won’t be easy with the families so far apart.

Meghan Markle holds Archie as Prince George stands nearby | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

It will likely be extremely difficult for Archie to develop a close relationship with his cousins

Though Archie will certainly have some kind of relationship with George, Charlotte, and Louis, it will likely be difficult for the four to grow up with a close bond. Yes, there are means of communication such as phone calls and video chats, but possibility of days playing in the yard and enjoying lunch together seem to be off the table.

Harry and Meghan feel they have Archie’s best interests at heart, and it’s possible they have a solution for helping their son maintain a close relationship with the Cambridges. Their royal split is fairly new, and we don’t yet know how often Harry and Meghan will return to the U.K. now that they’ve left.

It’s important for kids to develop close relationships with their siblings and cousins. According to the Chicago Tribune, relationships with cousins are good for emotional and mental health as well as personal growth. But if Archie only met the Cambridges a few times when they were living just a few miles apart, it speaks volumes for the kind of distance that’s between them now — and what it means for their relationship down the road.

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