Archie, Lilibet to make public appearance after Harry, Meghan surprise U-turn

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to be focussed on their individual pursuits when it comes to their professional life.

The Duke of Sussex has dedicated himself to charity work, which he is known to be good at from his days as a working royal, while the Duchess of Sussex is carving her niche in Hollywood while running her lifestyle brand As Ever.

One thing that the couple remained on the joint front was their charitable foundation, Archewell, which they founded in 2020. However, last year, it went through a major change, a surprising inclusion of their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

After being renamed to Archewell Philanthropies, a statement on the website read that the change came as the couple “broaden their global philanthropic efforts for meaningful reach and maximum impact”.

It added that after five “beautiful” years, the entity allows the couple “and their children” to expand upon their global philanthropic endeavors “as a family”. 

This was a surprising move for the Sussexes, who have strictly shielded the identities of their children and have rarely shown them to the public.

The only photos of Archie’s are available from the year he had been with the royal family and there is only one portrait of Princess Lilibet from when she turned one. Other than that, Meghan had concealed the faces of their children on social media.

In a surprise turn of events, the Duchess shared the clearest photo of their four-year-old daughter, suggesting that this might be a beginning of something bigger for the Sussex children.

How Prince William and Princess Kate inspire new change for Sussexes

It is possible that the new change was inspired by the decision Prince William and Princess Kate have taken for their three children.

Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, stole the public’s hearts during the 2025 Christmas walkabout, where they interacted with the public. They were confident, especially Charlotte, who seemed ready to take on her own set of royal duties.

There had been speculations about Harry and Meghan finding a way to return to the royal fold – not for themselves but for Archie and Lilibet to have an option for the future.

Royal expert Jennie Bond has praised William and Kate for a “wonderful job” they did “acclimatising all three children to public life”.

Charlotte seemed in her element as she greeted the public with poise and gave hugs to few. George and Louis were full of joy. It was overall a charming display from the children.

It is possible that Harry and Meghan feel that their own children should have some exposure much like their cousins. Archie is close to an age where all royal children began to have a prominent appearance during key events.

It is likely that the children are being trained for it and there would come a time when Archie and Lilibet would also be handling their own set of public outings, although under the watchful eye of their parents.