Archie and Lilibet Steal the Spotlight in New Photo — but for a Reason Charles Would Hate
A new photo of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, captured with their backs to the camera, has been making the rounds online. Part of a recent feature, the picture shows the siblings leaning side by side as they admire Lilibet’s Ariel-themed 4th birthday cake. The adorable photo highlights Archie and Lilibet’s striking red hair, a trait that their grandfather, King Charles, is known to hate.
Archie and Lilibet’s photo was part of the documentary, The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland — A Special Edition of 20/20, which was released on September 21. The film featured their parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, reminiscing about their childhood memories at Disneyland. The Sussexes, along with their children, had visited the Park in June to celebrate Lilibet’s 4th birthday. For the occasion, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had ordered a two-tier birthday cake featuring a figure of Princess Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Lilibet’s favorite Disney character.
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Although Charles would be happy to see Archie and Lilibet’s new photo, whom he has not met in years, we likely wouldn't be too thrilled about their ginger hair — the ‘Spencer gene’ passed down from the late Princess Diana’s family to Harry and his children. Former royal butler Paul Burrell had once revealed the monarch’s alleged disdain for it in his book, The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King, and Princess Diana. In a conversation with The Mirror, Burrell recounted Charles's visit to the hospital after Harry was born.
Upon seeing his baby boy, the King reportedly remarked, "Oh, red hair," a comment that highlighted his focus on his son's appearance rather than his or his mother’s health. The former butler claimed Diana tried to explain, saying, "But, Charles, you know that's the Spencer gene. We've all got red hair." Burrell shared that the conversation took a sad turn when Charles allegedly remarked, "Well, at least I've got my heir and spare now and... I can return to Camilla."
Coming back to Archie and Lilibet, Harry, in the documentary, spoke about reliving his childhood memories in Disney World through his kids. He shared, "I went with my mom and my brother... I remember losing it as a kid with all the characters. Like, losing it." Speaking about Lilibet’s Disneyland birthday trip, he added, "To see the kids throw themselves into these experiences when they have no idea what they're walking into — it was amazing. And it brings out the kid in you again."