Meghan Markle Opens Up About Archie & Lilibet and the Accent They’ve Picked Up from Dad Harry
Meghan Markle released Season 2 of her Netflix cooking show, With Love, Meghan, on August 26, offering never-before-seen insights into her family life. In one episode, the Duchess of Sussex shared a humorous anecdote about her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and the British accent they picked up from dad, Prince Harry. She revealed that when saying the word 'zebra,' they sometimes switch between the American and British pronunciations, in a playful attempt to include both accents in everyday conversation.
As reported by PEOPLE, Markle told her guest Tan France that instead of saying 'zee-brah,' Archie and Lilibet say 'zeh-brah' in a British accent. "My kids, they'll say a little bit of both." She added that she and Harry also pronounce 'herb' differently, with her using a silent 'h' at the beginning. "My husband always laughs when I say 'herbs'. He’s like, 'Herbs.' He’s like, 'You’re so American — ‘Erbs, ‘erbs.'" Markle further explained that their children use the American pronunciation of cooking terms because "Papa’s not cooking as much."
The Duchess of Sussex has previously also spoken about her children's accents during her appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in March. As per Cosmopolitan, when host Drew Barrymore asked, "What's your favorite thing that you see in your kids that you go, 'Oh, that's their dad?'" Markle spilled, "Oh, some of the words that they still say with a British accent. So they'll say, 'Ze-bra,' and what else do they say? They have these little moments where it comes out... They have very American accents, but they say words that are just like him, and I think it's adorable."
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In the episode with France, Markle also reflected on how motherhood had surpassed her expectations. According to PEOPLE, recalling her nearly three-week separation from her children, which was extended due to Queen Elizabeth's funeral, she shared, "You want to be the parent who’s like, 'Yes, go do it...Go live that life. But I’m going to miss you so much.' ...The longest I went without being around our kids was almost three weeks. I was...not well." France agreed and said, "I might die without my kids... If I don’t see them for a couple of days, I feel like my heart is broken." Markle and Harry were separated from Archie and Lilibet for 17 days during their time in the UK in 2022.
Markle’s chat with France also saw her open up about the first time she fell in love with Harry. She recalled, "Yes. That was our third date...We met in Botswana, and we camped for five days together. You really get to know somebody when you’re in a little tent together and there’s like, 'What is that outside the tent?’ That’s an elephant. Are we gonna be safe?" The Duchess sweetly reminisced that it was the Duke who told her 'I love you' for the first time in their relationship.