A royal photographer claims that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were keen not to share details of Prince Archie’s birth straight away.

Meghan Markle and Prince Archie.

Queen Camilla first saw Archie on a photographer’s phone. (Image: GETTY)

Queen Camilla first saw Prince Archie via “a royal photographer’s phone” after his birth in May 2019, it has been revealed.

Royal photographer Arthur Edwards claims that he was the first person to show Queen Camilla a picture of her step-grandson in 2019.

Having taken pictures of the Royal Family since the 1970s, Mr Edwards spoke of Meghan and Harry’s approach to introducing their then-newborn son to the world.

At the time of the birth, Mr Edwards said that he was on a royal tour in Germany with some of Harry’s relatives, including the Queen.

Speaking to the Sun, he said: “I remember showing Camilla in, I think, Munich the first pictures of Archie that were taken by the press.

queen camilla

Queen Camilla was in Germany at the time of Archie’s birth in 2019. (Image: GETTY)

“I showed her on my phone, and that was the first time she saw him. It was difficult times.”

Speaking of Archie’s birth, Mr Edwards added: “We were led to believe that she had gone into labour at two o’clock when the baby had been born many hours earlier. We were led to believe it was going to be a home birth and it was in a hospital. The whole thing was just stage-managed to suit them.”

Unlike fellow royals, Meghan and Harry chose to not pose for photographs outside of the hospital following the birth of their son – with the now-mother-of-two previously revealing the reason behind their decision.

Speaking on the Sussexes’ Netflix docuseries in 2022, Meghan said: “…I had been really worried going into that labour because I am older and I didn’t know if I would have to have a C-section. I had a very long-standing relationship with my doctor and that is who I trusted with my pregnancy. And they said, ‘Right, but she is at Portland Hospital and the steps are at this hospital (the Lindo Wing)’. And I said, ‘OK, we could do a photo call in front of Portland Hospital’.”

Two years after Archie’s birth, Meghan gave birth to Princess Lilibet – who will celebrate her third birthday next week – in June 2021.