Dropping hints. Prince Harry alluded to his and Meghan Markle‘s exit from the royal family during a conversation with Dr. Jane Goodall months before it was announced.
The British primatologist, 86, revealed in an interview on Saturday, April 11, that the 35-year-old royal hinted at his plans in July 2019 when she visited the royal couple and their son Archie, who was a newborn at time, at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England.
“At the end [of the conversation] Meghan [Markle] came in to listen with Archie,” Goodall told the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine of being interviewed by Harry. “He was very tiny and very sleepy — not too pleased to be passed from his mummy.”
The anthropologist then practiced Queen Elizabeth II’s wave with Archie, telling his proud parents that “he’ll have to learn this.”
“Harry said, ‘No, he’s not growing up like that,'” Goodall recalled about the suggestion. Six months later, Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they were stepping down from their senior roles within the royal family.
The couple, who’s final day as working royals was on March 31, have since relocated to Los Angeles after living temporarily in Vancouver Island, Canada, for several months.
On April 6, Harry and Meghan, 38, announced the launch of their new charitable entity, Archewell, derived from the Greek word “Arche” meaning “source of action,” after sharing that they would no longer be posting on their Sussex Royal Instagram account (as they can no longer use the word “royal”).
“We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name,” the duo told The Telegraph of Archewell’s connection to their 11-month-old son. “To do something of meaning, to do something that matters.”
Their statement went on to highlight their commitment to fighting the global coronavirus pandemic, which has infected over 1.7 million people worldwide.
“Like you, our focus is on supporting efforts to tackle the global Covid-19 pandemic but faced with this information coming to light, we felt compelled to share the story of how this came to be,” the couple continued. “Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon. We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.”
Next up, the couple will celebrate Archie’s first birthday on May 6 with a small party at their Los Angeles home.
“It will be just the three of them,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively on Wednesday, April 8, noting that the Suits alum “refuses to take any risks” with guests or travel.
