Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fans have been left furious after the royals ‘disrespect’ Archie on his birthday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, Prince Archie, turned seven on May 6, marking another milestone for the young royal, who now lives in Montecito, California, with his parents and younger sister, Princess Lilibet.
Archie was born in London in 2019, before Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 and relocated to the US.
Since then, the Sussex children have grown up largely outside the royal spotlight, with Harry and Meghan choosing to share only rare glimpses of their family life.
Archie’s birthday is believed to have been celebrated privately at the Sussexes’ California home, likely with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and close family friends.
In previous years, Meghan has offered small insights into her son’s celebrations. For his sixth birthday, she posted a sweet tribute calling him ‘our son’ and ‘our sun,’ thanking supporters for their love and warm wishes.
Archie’s life away from the Royal spotlight
Unlike his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Archie has spent most of his childhood away from royal duties and public appearances.
He made his first major royal appearance as a baby during Harry and Meghan’s 2019 tour of South Africa, but since then, his parents have kept him largely protected from public attention.
The Sussexes have occasionally shared family moments through their Netflix documentary and social media, showing Archie playing at home, spending time with Lilibet, and enjoying life in California.
Reports have also claimed Harry and Meghan have disagreed at times over how much of their children’s lives should be shared publicly.
According to insiders, per MSN, Meghan has allegedly been more open to releasing birthday photographs, while Harry is said to be more cautious due to concerns about online abuse, royal backlash, and the children’s privacy.
Fans react to Archie’s birthday ‘disrespect’
As Archie’s birthday arrived, Sussex supporters flooded social media with messages celebrating the young prince.
Many posted old photographs of Archie with Harry and Meghan, while others praised the couple for giving their children a quieter life away from the intense royal spotlight.
However, the happy occasion quickly turned into criticism of the wider Royal Family.
Fans began questioning why Archie’s birthday appeared to pass without a public message from senior royals.
One supporter wrote: “Whatever has gone on between the adults has nothing to do with the children.”
Another said: “Archie is still King Charles’ grandson. He should be acknowledged.”
A third added: “It’s sad when children are dragged into family disputes.”
Others defended the palace, arguing that private messages, cards, or gifts may have been sent behind the scenes.
One person commented: “Just because it wasn’t posted online doesn’t mean they ignored him.”
Another added: “The royal family doesn’t have to put every family moment on social media.”
Comparisons to the Wales children
The backlash intensified because birthdays for Prince William and Princess Kate’s children are often marked with public posts.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are regularly celebrated with new photographs released by their parents on official social media accounts.
When Prince Louis turned eight, William and Kate shared a new birthday photograph with the caption: “Happy birthday, Louis! 8 today!”
This contrast has not gone unnoticed by Sussex fans, who argue that Archie and Lilibet are still part of the royal family despite living in America.
Similar outrage erupted when Princess Lilibet turned three and did not receive a public birthday message from senior royals.
At the time, fans accused the monarchy of ‘punishing’ Harry and Meghan’s children for their parents’ decisions.
One person wrote: “She is an innocent child.”
Another added: “No matter what happened between the adults, the children should not be treated differently.”
Why the Royals ‘disrespected’ Archie’s birthday
Despite the backlash, royal experts say there is a reason Archie’s birthday was not publicly acknowledged.
Under King Charles’ reign, official royal social media accounts have generally only marked birthdays for working members of the Royal Family.
Since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020, they are no longer working royals. Their children, Archie and Lilibet, are also not working members of the monarchy.
Hello’s royal correspondent Danielle Stacey previously explained that the palace typically does not post birthday messages for non-working royals, including Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, or their children.
That means the alleged ‘disrespect’ fans are furious about is not necessarily a personal snub.
Still, for many Sussex supporters, the absence of a public birthday message for Archie felt hurtful.
So, the moment fans branded as royal ‘disrespect’ was simple but striking: the Royal Family did not publicly acknowledge Prince Archie’s birthday.
