Almost five years to the day have passed since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex set in motion the wheels that would steer them away from the royal family – and Britain.
But if that journey was supposed to drive them into a new life of freedom in the United States, that road has veered wildly off course.
And Prince Harry, New Idea learns, is growing increasingly disenchanted, fearing that his kids are missing out.
“Meghan sold their move to America as a way for their family to be happy, free, and relatively ‘normal’,” an insider explains.
“But that doesn’t seem to be the case for them and their kids at all.”
Since Harry and Meghan, 43, settled into their Montecito compound in 2020, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, have barely been seen in public.
“It’s almost as if they, as a family, are living like Rapunzel in her tower,” our source says.
“Even the locals in Montecito are puzzled. Archie and Lili are rarely seen with Meghan or Harry at local events, like out trick-or-treating at Halloween, for example.”
The children are believed to attend a local school and nursery. Some online commenters have cheekily dubbed Lilibet ‘Invisi-bet’ because the princess, who was born in California, has been seen even less frequently in public than her older brother.
Since turning 40 in September, Harry has been taking a closer look at his family’s current situation and, our source says, he has concerns.
“The biggest shock for Harry is that he thought raising his kids away from the Royal Family would give them more freedom,” our source says.
“In California, though, the opposite has happened. In fact, Archie and Lilibet’s world seems even more cossetted than his own upbringing as an heir to the British Crown.”
Despite their royal status, Harry and his brother, the now Prince of Wales, frequently traveled outside palace gates growing up and Harry believes his own children deserve the same opportunities.
Their late mother, Princess Diana, in particular, made a point of ensuring her sons enjoyed commonplace childhood experiences such as visits to McDonald’s, the cinema, and theme parks.
“Harry wants to recreate similar experiences with his own kids – but Meghan is resistant,” our source says.
Following ‘Megxit’ the Sussexes had their publicly funded royal security detail removed. That perceived security risk exacerbated Harry’s reluctance to bring his wife and kids back to the UK.
But Meghan now seems to be applying those security fears and a desire for privacy to their life inside a gated community in the US.
“Harry feels as if they are living in a bubble,” our source says. “He’s beginning to think he had more freedom as a kid growing up in a palace.”
Of course, while Harry, like Meghan, will always prioritise their kids’ safety, “he’s worried Archie and Lilibet are missing out too,” our source adds.
