Prince Harry, Meghan Markle 'Stage Managed' Archie's Birth; Fooled Media About 'Disaster' Delivery: Royal Insider
The birth of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's eldest child, Prince Archie, was described by a royal photographer as a "disaster" for the press.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke a long-standing royal tradition when they didn't take photos standing on the steps outside London's private Portland Hospital following Prince Archie's birth on May 6, 2019.
It wasn't until two days later that photographers captured the first snap of the royal baby during a photocall at St George's Hall in Windsor Castle.
In an interview with The Sun's "Royal Exclusive," British photographer Arthur Edwards -- who captured photos of the royals for over four decades and often toured with them -- said that Prince Harry and Markle "stage managed" their son's birth according to their wishes instead of following the postpartum tradition thought to have been started by Princess Anne in the '80s.
"The whole thing was just stage managed to suit them," Edwards claimed of Prince Archie's birth.
The well-known Sun photographer suggested that the press was given incorrect information about when Markle had gone into labor and given birth.
"Harry's baby Archie was almost teething before we found out he was born, you know," Edwards sarcastically told host Matt Wilkinson.
"We were led to believe that she had gone into labor at 2 o'clock, when the baby had been born many hours earlier. We were led to believe it was going to be a home birth and it was in a hospital."
According to Page Six, Markle had originally planned to give birth to Archie at their then-U.K. home Frogmore Cottage with the help of an all-female midwife team.
However, when her son was a week overdue, doctors advised the former "Suits" star to go to the hospital and deliver there.
Markle also gave birth to her and Prince Harry's second child, Princess Lilibet, in a California hospital in June 2021 despite reports saying the duchess hoped to have a home birth at their Montecito estate.
Prince Harry and Markle, who had already stepped back from royal duties at the time, released the first official photo of Lilibet months later as part of their family Christmas card.
During the Sussexes' sit-down with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Markle addressed their decision not to pose for photographers immediately after Prince Archie's birth.
She denied the claims that they did not want to be part of the tradition that had been upheld by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana and sister-in-law Kate Middleton, nor were they sending a message about doing things their way.
"We weren't asked to take a picture," the duchess claimed, adding that fear for Archie's safety also played a role in the decision.
According to Markle, they had been told that Archie would not be given a royal title, which meant he would not have his own security.
Markle claimed that they asked the royal family to inform the public about this decision to avoid any misunderstandings, but they allegedly refused, according to a transcript of the interview published by The Sun.
"So, picture, now that you know what was going on behind the scenes, right? There was a lot of fear surrounding it. I was very scared of having to offer up our baby, knowing that they weren’t going to be kept safe," Markle explained.
Archie and Lilibet were later officially given prince and princess titles after their grandfather, King Charles III, became monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
