How Meghan Markle's Plans for Archie's 1st Birthday Party Changed
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the cancellation of major public royal family events—Trooping the Colour, for instance—and the postponing of smaller ones, like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's son Archie's formal first birthday party. E! got insight into what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had originally planned to mark the occasion on May 6 and how drastically the plans had changed as the family quarantines in Los Angeles.
Meghan and Harry are among many parents in the U.S. and U.K. to postpone party plans for their child as everyone social distances. Their initial plan was to celebrate the occasion with extended family in England, but COVID-19 changed that.
"I think the hope in royal circles had been that the Sussexes would return to the U.K. in May, either before or after their attendance at the Invictus Games in The Netherlands next month, and they were also due to attend the Queen's Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour on June 13," E!'s source explained. "But with both those events now cancelled, and Harry and Meghan holed in California where they are likely to be social distancing for the next few weeks, Archie is set to celebrate his first birthday with only his parents."
Archie's royal relatives genuinely wanted to celebrate with him: "The hope had been that Archie's first birthday would somehow be marked with some members of the royal family, cousins, grandparents and some godparents in the U.K. when they were over in the U.K.," the source said.
There's a chance Archie could celebrate his first birthday with his grandmother Doria Ragland too, as Meghan's mother lives in Los Angeles, depending on whether restrictions in California have relaxed at all by early May. But Meghan and Harry haven't given up the idea of a party entirely: They hope to celebrate "with friends, family, and some godparents," when it is safe to hold that kind of gathering, E!'s source said.
Us Weekly reported similarly about Meghan and Harry's current plans for Archie's birthday last week. “It will be just the three of them [in Los Angeles],” the source said. Meghan, understandably, “refuses to take any risks” with guests or travel.
FaceTiming with friends and family on Archie's actual birthday is a real possibility though: E! reported at the beginning of April that Archie has been having regular playdates with other babies and kids on the platform that his parents know. Archie has been "loving doing FaceTime playdates with other small children they have in their lives," a source told E!.
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