Meghan Markle reflects on ‘sudden sadness’ over Archie and Lilibet ahead of ‘big’ decision

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been left feeling ‘sad’ as their daughter Lilibet turns three this week – as the couple are believed to be contemplating expanding their family.

Meghan Markle suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage following the birth of son Archie (Image: (Image: Getty))

It must be a nostalgic rollercoaster for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as their daughter, Lilibet, celebrates her third birthday this week.

It feels like only yesterday that they were marking Archie’s fifth birthday, with the pair no doubt sensing that time is flying by. During an earlier visit to Nigeria, which fell on US Mother’s Day, Meghan, now 42, who identifies as 43% Nigerian, spoke of missing her children.

She declared, reports the Mirror: “Today is Mother’s Day,” and “So it feels appropriate that although of course we are missing our children, I’m missing my babies, it feels very appropriate to be in the motherland and amongst family.”

Insider reports suggest Meghan struggles with being apart from her youngsters, expressing: “Meghan doesn’t like being away from her children as she doesn’t want to miss a thing with them growing up so fast. With Lili turning three, it’s really got Meghan and Harry thinking about their future and how quickly the children are growing up. Meghan especially feels that her babies are no longer babies and like most mums, it makes her slightly sad and wistful that the baby years have come to an end.”

The transition from babies to school-age children is a challenge that Meghan, like many parents, may be grappling with. Parenting expert Amanda Jenner told OK! magazine: “For many parents, it really is a mix of emotions when you think your children are growing up so fast; it can leave parents feeling anxious about how fast time is going but it is completely natural. It’s perfectly normal that Meghan is feeling that sudden sadness and it’s important to find the positive. This can also be a time for parents to find themselves again as a person.

Meghan Markle will be feeling sad as a key stage comes to an end (Image: Harry & Meghan: An African Journey)
“When you first have a baby it’s completely overwhelming and you can feel like you lose your identity, so this can be the perfect time to reconnect with yourself and find something you love to do. When they reach school age this can be a time when you as a parent will have separation anxiety, which you are entitled to feel. So connect with other parents and talk about your feelings. On the plus side you may make a new circle of friends within school life and you can share this journey together.”

Speculation is mounting over whether Harry and Meghan, who made their big move from the UK to California in 2020, are considering expanding their family. The rumour mill has been buzzing with suggestions that the couple is eager to have another child, particularly since Meghan has previously expressed her desire for siblings during her own upbringing.

Meghan, who has two half-siblings from her father’s first marriage, remarked in 2021: “I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings.”

Despite her past wishes, it seems the Sussexes are content with their family of four. Harry has made it clear that they are not planning to expand their brood, citing environmental reasons as a key consideration.

In a candid 2019 interview, he famously declared: “Two, maximum!” He further explained his stance by reflecting on our responsibility to the planet, stating: “I’ve always thought: this place is borrowed. And, surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation.”

This July will mark the fourth anniversary of Meghan’s miscarriage, a devastating event she has spoken about openly with the aim of offering comfort to others who have gone through similar experiences. In 2020, following the birth of Archie, Meghan suffered a miscarriage.

She later penned an emotional essay detailing the moment she felt a severe cramp while looking after Archie, leading to her hospitalisation.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience of loss, she shared: “Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal. Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief.”

As the anniversary of this profound sorrow approaches, it is said that Meghan harbours a natural melancholy during this period yet finds solace in her family. “She feels so blessed to have Archie and Lili and the family she and Harry have created. But naturally, as the anniversary of her miscarriage approaches, she does have sadness. The date is very poignant for her,” a source disclosed.

Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.