Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in a “new era” when it comes to their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. Sadly for fans who may want to see more of the Sussex kids, a commentator thinks the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now in a period where they appear to be focusing more heavily on their son and daughter’s privacy. 

Harry and Meghan didn’t publicly acknowledge Father’s Day

Father’s Day came and went on June 16, 2024, without any sort of public tribute from Harry and Meghan. Harry didn’t shoutout King Charles III on social media the way his brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, did.

Meghan didn’t wish her husband of five years a happy Father’s Day by sharing a photo of Archie and Lili with their dad, similar to Kate Middleton’s snap of Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, with William.

So, what does it mean? Harry and Meghan simply could’ve opted to celebrate the occasion privately without any social media posts or updates to their official website. Or, as royal correspondent Jack Royston told the U.K.’s Sky News, it could be a sign the couple is in a “new era.”

“It’s interesting that we didn’t get any Father’s Day content from Harry and Meghan,” he said (via Newsweek). Royston went on to say that, in his opinion, they seem to “really have hit a new era of definitely wanting to keep their children in private.”

Glimpses of Archie and Lili are becoming increasingly rare

It’s been a while since Harry and Meghan gave the world a look at Archie and Lili — more than 16 months. The last time they shared a glimpse of the Sussex kids was in December 2022, when Netflix’s Harry & Meghan docuseries was released.

In it, the couple provided personal videos and photos, many of which featured Archie and Lili. Since then, Harry and Meghan have occasionally talked about their kids publicly, the most recent being in Nigeria during a May 2024 trip.

Gone, however, are the days of family photos or birthday portraits. At least ones that are shared with the masses. Since his birth in 2019, Archie has made only two official public appearances. Meanwhile, his sister hasn’t made any, save for a few photo releases.

“They had a period where having initially said we wouldn’t see much of their kids, they then did let Archie appear in the Oprah interview. And in some other content they did for their various shows,” Royston said. “And then Princess Lilibet, they released a picture for her first birthday.”

“But then we’ve had nothing this year of Lilibet. And we’ve had nothing for Father’s Day. And it does feel like they’ve now hit a point where we perhaps won’t see the kids again.”

Indeed, the only glimpses of Archie and Lili in 2023 were obtained by paparazzi. Harry and Lili were snapped at a local Fourth of July celebration. Then Harry and Meghan were spotted taking the kids trick-or-treating near their Montecito, California, home, and, later, vacationing abroad.

Archie and Lili’s royal cousins also stay out of the spotlight

Harry and Meghan’s kids aren’t the only young royals growing up largely out of the spotlight. Their cousins are, too.

William and Kate’s three children aren’t seen very often apart from major royal family events. Take, for instance, Trooping the Colour. George, Charlotte, and Louis participated in the celebration with their parents on June 15, 2024.

Holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, typically give the public glimpses of the Wales children. There’s also the occasional Wales family outing at Wimbledon, a soccer game, or the Commonwealth Games.

Although Harry and Meghan may be focusing on their children’s privacy, that doesn’t mean glimpses of them aren’t possible. It was previously reported Harry and Meghan discussed how visible Archie and Lili should be in their upcoming Netflix shows. Another claimed Meghan wants to include Archie and Lili in her work, similar to her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales.