Meghan and Harry throw colourful backyard party for son Archie’s 5th birthday at Montecito mansion
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated son Archie’s fifth birthday with a low-key family party.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were expected to release a new picture of their eldest child on his birthday on May 6, but royal fans were left disappointed when it emerged the couple would be keeping their firstborn out of the spotlight this year. It’s a royal tradition to release photos of the youngest members of the monarchy on their birthdays, and it’s been more recently adopted by Prince William and Kate Middleton, who released a picture of Princess Charlotte just a few days earlier on May 2.
However, it seems that Harry and Meghan opted to host a low-key family party at their home in Montecito instead, as a California-based balloon company shared a custom-made colourful arrangement that was seemingly made for the young prince. Ventura County Balloons uploaded the snap on their Instagram Stories over the weekend, as they revealed the cute balloon sculpture they had created that was adorned with Archie’s name.
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A colourful balloon arrangement for Prince Archie’s birthday
“Balloon bouquets all day, every day! DM to book and surprise loved ones!” they captioned the snap, which showed a silver balloon in the shape of the number five, as well as a variety of round and star-shaped balloons, with one inflatable bearing the touching message: “Happy birthday Archie”. There was another gold star balloon adorned with his name, and one which simply read: “Happy Birthday”.
Archie, Meghan and Harry didn’t feature in the photo – which was taken in a residential area – and it hasn’t been confirmed if it was taken in the exclusive area of Montecito where the couple have lived since 2020. It seems that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted to celebrate Archie’s birthday with close family and friends before Harry was due to fly to London for a special event to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
Royal expert Tom Quinn told us that Meghan loves her children to enjoy family parties at home for their birthdays. “When it comes to her children’s birthdays, Meghan is almost obsessed with the idea that they should be quiet, very private affairs, with simple games, a birthday cake and ice cream,” Quinn told us.
“Archie is a real live-wire who loves rushing around at top speed, so there will also be blind man’s bluff and tag among other games. Meghan combines a deep sense of her own global importance in the wider world with a desire to make her children experience what she sees as the more ordinary things in life.
“So, for Archie‘s birthday, there will be friends from school, Meghan‘s mother Doria Ragland and one or two celebrities – any celebrity neighbour with a child the same age, and that includes actors Katie Perry and Orlando Bloom and their daughter Daisy – will definitely be invited.”
Harry and Meghan with Archie and baby Lilibet
Meghan and Harry with baby Archie
Harry landed in the UK on Tuesday and was not accompanied by his wife Meghan, or their two children, after it was speculated the prince would bring his family over to the UK before jetting off on another trip to Nigeria later this week. A spokesperson for Harry also confirmed that he would not be meeting with his father King Charles, despite the 39-year-old vowing to spend more time with the monarch following his unexpected cancer diagnosis in February.
Amid speculation that Harry would be meeting his father while in the UK, the prince’s spokesperson confirmed it wasn’t possible due to Charles’ busy schedule. “It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme. The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
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