How Archie Harrison's upbringing may be affected by move to LA - and how will it differ from his royal cousins?

It'll be very different to his royal cousins...

It's been reported that after a long stint in Canada, Prince Harry and Meghan have now made their permanent move to Los Angeles, in California.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been living on Vancouver Island since Thanksgiving last year - with a brief return to the UK earlier this month.

But now, they have set up residence in LA, where it's expected that they are their 11-month-old son Archie will be for the foreseeable future.

The move comes just a few short months after Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step back as senior members of the royal family - with subsequent discussions leading to them taking a total step away from 'The Firm'. As of now, the couple are financially independent, and will no longer represent the Queen on official duties.

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But this enormous lifestyle change means that their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor, will no doubt have a markedly different childhood to that of his royal cousins - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

archie upbringing

Credit: Getty Images

While the Cambridge's children will grow up in central London in the media spotlight, and with all the trappings of royal life, Archie will likely have a quieter childhood in sunny California, away from the pomp and ceremony of the British royal family, and British high society.

As George, Charlotte and Louis grow up seeing their dad's preparations for becoming the King of England, Archie will instead see his mum and dad work differently for a living.

Credit: Getty Images

But one question that's been raised about Archie's upbringing is - how will he feel about being kept away from life as a member of the royal family? We spoke to an expert to find out...

How will life away from the royals affect Archie as he grows up?

Life within the British royal family is undeniably privileged - with summers spent at castles, staff on hand at all times to assist, all the material items you could wish for, and never having to worry about income.

But that's not all - given Harry and Meghan's decision to move half a world away from Harry's side of the family, he's also going to be without them for large parts of the year as he gets older.

Parenting expert Martina Mercer argued that it might be something Archie questions as he gets older. She told the Express, "He’s not only estranged from his family, his cousins and grandparents, he’s also removed from the royal circle and all that it represents.

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"Baby Archie in his formative years will know no different. He’ll grow accepting any situation as the norm. When he reaches his teenage years though he will see what he’s missed out on. Depending on his personality, he may feel a little robbed of the opportunity of being a part of the most famous family in the world."

However, we spoke to psychologist Karen Kwong, who argued that little Archie likely won't feel resentful at all, as he'll have a stable and happy family life all the same - even if it won't include mixing in royal circles.

Why one psychologist says Archie will be more than content with life in LA

She told GoodToKnow, "It is an interesting question about how Archie might think of feel as he gets older, being brought up away from the royal family. I don't think it would be fair on Harry, Meghan nor Archie to speculate. However, here are some of my thoughts on children born to those in the limelight.

"In the case of Archie, he will have no reason to resent being kept away from royal life and its privilege - because he will feel secure and not lacking in his own environment. Archie will still have access to his cousins and other members of the family."

archie upbringing

Credit: Getty Images

Archie's upbringing will be loving and stable

Karen continued, explaining that being brought up in a loving, secure environment - as we're sure he will be - is much more important to his development and confidence than experiencing the excesses of royal life.

She said, "Like with all children, a child has to be brought up in an environment of love and respect. To instil confidence in themselves so that they value themselves and others, with a purpose to live to their potential, to contribute positively, as opposed to causing harm. Encouraging critical thinking and creativity, independence, as well as emotional intelligence and discipline are vital for bringing up a well-rounded member of society.

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"In this environment, any child will grow to perceive and appreciate that their upbringing is their and their family's dynamics. The values instilled in them, if well-grounded, will allow them to function successfully within their circumstances."

As such, she concluded, "He is not really missing out. And by all accounts, he might rather like all the access and none of the responsibilities that his cousin George in particular, will have."

After all, Archie's parents Meghan and Harry will still be well able to provide for their baby son as he grows up, and from what we've seen of the Sussex family so far, will be showering him with love as he gets older!

Plus, they won't be the only family he has nearby. Meghan's mother Doria also loves in LA, as do many of the Duchess's friends, including Priyanka Chopra, Amal Clooney, and Abigail Spencer, her former Suits co-star.

Senior Digital Writer

Amy is Senior Digital Writer across Woman & Home, GoodTo and Woman, writing about everything from celebrity news to health, fashion and beauty features. When she isn't obsessing over the latest dress drop from Marks & Spencer, you'll most likely find Amy out running, or with a cup of tea in hand ready to dive into a gripping new Netflix series.