Inside the private life the Sussexes gave up royalty for: Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet's family album
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave up their positions as senior working royals in pursuit of a quieter, more private life in the US. One where they could raise a family away from the restrictions of the monarchy and scrutiny of the press.
Five years on, they've succeeded in building the family life they always wanted with son Prince Archie, five, and daughter Princess Lilibet, three. (Both children were born without titles but inherited them when their paternal grandfather was crowned King Charles III).
Keep reading to get a glimpse inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's family life with their two children and relive the journey they went on to secure it.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child together on May 6, 2019, but didn't reveal his name at first. It wasn't the only royal family tradition the new parents bucked with their first baby.
Unlike previous royal mothers, Meghan gave birth at the Portland Hospital in London and opted not to appear on the hospital steps for the traditional photo op with her newborn son.
Instead, she and Harry hosted a private photo session with members of the royal rota at Windsor Castle on May 8, two days after his birth, where they announced his name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
The new parents also introduced Archie to his royal great-grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on May 8.
Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was also present for the special meeting, as she had travelled from the US to the UK to support her daughter through the birth and newborn phase.
"He's got the sweetest temperament, he's so calm," Meghan said of her son that day, to which Harry replied, "Wonder where he gets that from?"
He added, "Parenting is amazing ... we're just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy."
Archie was just a few days old when he made his Instagram debut on the since-deleted Sussex Royal Instagram account, where his parents shared this sweet photo to mark UK Mother's Day in 2019.
The photo also honoured the paternal grandmother he'd never meet, the late Princess Diana, as it featured her favourite flower in the background: forget-me-nots.
"Paying tribute to all mothers today - past, present, mothers-to-be, and those lost but forever remembered. We honour and celebrate each and every one of you," the photo was captioned.
Archie was christened in July 2019, wearing the same royal christening gown worn by his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. It was a replica of the original gown worn by his father, grandfather, and many royal ancestors before.
Again, his parents eschewed royal tradition and chose not to share the names of his godparents with the public, valuing their privacy as well as their son's.
The couple also made time for a few private portraits like this one on Archie's christening day, as well as the traditional royal family photos.
Though they were thrilled to be parents and couldn't wait to embrace their new family life, Harry and Meghan faced several setbacks in the first few months of Archie's life.
Meghan was the target of several cruel attacks, with critics taking aim at everything from her body after giving birth, to the way she held her own son in photos like this one.
At first the couple ignored the criticism, but eventually Meghan reached breaking point.
She and Harry took Archie on his first royal tour through Southern Africa in September 2019, where the little royal delighted with a few rare public appearances.
Despite her smile at official outings, Meghan was struggling in private and eventually confessed in a documentary about the tour that she was "not OK".
"Any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging," she told journalist Tom Brady on camera.
"And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it's a lot ... you add this on top of trying to be a new mum."
Wanting to get away from the spotlight for a while and enjoy their son's early milestones, Harry and Meghan retreated to Canada for a well-earned break towards the end of 2020.
They shared few details about their time away from the UK, but released this sweet photo of Harry with his baby boy to mark the end of what had been a big year for their little family.
Then the Sussexes shocked everyone when they kicked off 2020 by announcing that they were quitting the royal family and moving to the US to raise Archie away from the pressures of the monarchy and British media.
The next time the world saw little Archie was in a touching home video unlike anything we'd seen before from parents in the royal family.
In the clip, a refreshed-looking Meghan read her little boy a book in honour of his first birthday, her love and pride obvious as she beamed at her son and Harry filmed.
This footage also served as confirmation of a detail royal fans had long suspected: Archie was a redhead just like his dad!
Speaking about his son's connection to Diana, Harry said in an Apple+ special: "I've got a photo of her in [Archie's] nursery, and it was one of the first words that he said — apart from 'mama,' 'papa,' it was then 'grandma.' Grandma Diana.
"It's the sweetest thing, but at the same time, it makes me really sad because she should be here."
Despite the bittersweet feeling of becoming a parent without his own mother there to guide him, Harry clearly loves being a dad and dotes on his kids - and yes, that's kids plural.
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