Birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor: May 6, 2019

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by loonytick

Access to records like this varies from state to state. Some states keep them private (available only to the individual, the courts, etc.) for 50+ years, others make them public right away, albeit with a request process that may be lengthy, carry a fee, etc.

It looks like anyone can get an "informational copy" of birth records in California. The informational copy seems to have all the same information as a certified copy, only with a stamp across the top to say it can't be used for identification purposes.

https://www.lavote.net/home/records/...online-request

Thank you for the information. I did know birth certificates aren't as widely and readily available in US. Nevertheless, they must really be out of things to talk about if they are tracking down a doctor about a birth 37 years ago. I mean, really, who would even remember?

[loonytick]

Originally Posted by jacqui24

Thank you for the information. I did know birth certificates aren't as widely and readily available in US. Nevertheless, they must really be out of things to talk about if they are tracking down a doctor about a birth 37 years ago. I mean, really, who would even remember?

It's honestly more than a little troubling.

[MaiaMia_53]

Originally Posted by BaiSoSo

That and perhaps an overwhelming need/sense to protect Archie as much as they can, by setting the tone up front with regards to his privacy. They have seen what Meghan goes through and it has already spread to the baby a little bit.

Exactly. I think there are many people of goodwill who simply wish the Sussexes well and cheer for them and the good work they do. However, there are others who seem overly fascinated, and then there are the trolls and haters. I understand fascination, but some of the commentary is reaching, fanciful and inarticulate, mixed with some good points too. However, I just think a lot of people are confused in their thinking and grasping to make the Sussex marriage stand for more things than it possibly can. Baby Archie too.

Check out this CNN coverage on the photo-call for baby Archie from May 8:

https://youtu.be/3OO7VAUOse4

I'm actually a bit surprised by how the interest in the Sussexes, their new baby, and everything they are doing and not doing, seems to be growing. Meghan, Harry, their communications staff and their RPOs seem to be handling things well so far. A lot of people appear to need a good dose of some perspective. Maybe in some respects, H&M's love story is rather pleasant and uplifting so that a lot of people are either latching onto it for enjoyment, or hating on it and on them for negative reasons. I wonder if Meghan's Mom receives some form of protection in California?

[MaiaMia_53]

Harry talks about life with his baby son, Archie, while on a visit to a children's hospital:

https://ca.hellomagazine.com/royalty...rrison-detail/

[Kellin]

Am I the one who cringes when reading about "sleep deprivation' from royals? everyone knows they have nannies who tke care about their children.
And they don't need to cook and clean for themselves so their life with a baby can't be compared with a life of regular young parents.

[amaryllus]

They may well have sleep deprivation from staying up with baby sure but the difference from the vast majority of parents in the world is they choose that. They choose to deal with baby care. Fact is They don’t technically have to do anything with the baby they don’t want to and acting like oh gosh I am just regular harried parent and have the same issues as Joe Smith ya know is disingenuous at best.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by Kellin

Am I the one who cringes when reading about "sleep deprivation' from royals? everyone knows they have nannies who tke care about their children.
And they don't need to cook and clean for themselves so their life with a baby can't be compared with a life of regular young parents.

Royals might have nannies, but that doesn't automatically mean that they never take care of their kids. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince William have both been photographed almost falling asleep on events and both the Cambridges have told about being sleep deprived.

[crm2317]

I’m sure they are sleep deprived as they are probably the ones getting up with Archie in the night time. However I agree that they don’t have to worry about cooking, cleaning, ironing, washing dishes, getting groceries etc. Speaking as the new mum to a 3 month old not having those responsibilities would make a huge difference!

[MaiaMia_53]

Originally Posted by Kellin

Am I the one who cringes when reading about "sleep deprivation' from royals? everyone knows they have nannies who tke care about their children.
And they don't need to cook and clean for themselves so their life with a baby can't be compared with a life of regular young parents.

Ah, but William (and Harry too both) wished to experience 'normal' life. When George was first born, I'm fairly certain there was no nanny help for a number of months. This means William and Kate likely reveled in their baby-driven sleepless nights (just as Meghan and Harry are doing now). Kate & William employed Maria Borrallo sometime later, not when George was still an infant. Obviously, the Cambridges were also helped out by Mama and Papa Middleton in those early months, and throughout the current growing years for young George, Charlotte and Louis.

As far as we know at the moment, Meghan and Harry do not have any staff helping them at Frogmore, certainly not any nanny help. It was just Doria, Meghan and Harry at Frogmore before Archie arrived. Then Doria spent a couple of weeks helping out with Archie before she returned to L.A. And of course, they have been welcoming visits from close friends and extended family since a few days after Archie's birth.

I would imagine the Sussexes might have cleaning help on occasion. But aside from that, there's just RPOs residing nearby in accommodations on the grounds. Meghan does her own cooking. Maybe she gets extra assistance in setting up for dinner parties, but she surely does all the cooking even then. Probably their professional wardrobe is managed, cleaned and cared for by assistants, but their casual wear they probably clean themselves in the laundry they surely have inside their home.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Kellin

Am I the one who cringes when reading about "sleep deprivation' from royals? everyone knows they have nannies who tke care about their children.
And they don't need to cook and clean for themselves so their life with a baby can't be compared with a life of regular young parents.

If Meghan is the baby's sole source of nutrition and hydration then she is most definitely sleep deprived at this point just like any other nursing mother. While I can't claim this for all royal mothers, it does seem that many of them are opting to nurse their children and many would likely find it easier to just have their babies sleeping next to them in a small cot/crib. For now Archie will be feeding frequently around the clock and will be doing so for months. He'll also feed more frequently whenever he is getting ready for a growth spurt. He's going to grow and change dramatically over the year so it will be awhile before the Sussexes are going to have uninterrupted sleep.

Royals might have nannies, but that doesn't automatically mean that they never take care of their kids. Crown Princess Victoria and Prince William have both been photographed almost falling asleep on events and both the Cambridges have told about being sleep deprived.

Yes because it's not just the mothers who are taking care of their babies and other children. Toddlers and pre-schoolers don't always have regular sleep patterns through the night and often need their parents attention. Fathers often find themselves helping out too.


Finally with a new generation of royals who have married women/men from middle class backgrounds, the idea of having a nanny engaged before or immediately after baby is born might be an adjustment. The royal spouse might have grown up with a full time nanny or nannies, but this would a bit of "culture shock" to their non-royal spouse, so they might delay hiring one for months and choose to care for baby themselves or with assistance from family. Also the nanny or nannies might not be engaged to work a night shift and might be there only when the parents are required to be away overnight.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by amaryllus

They may well have sleep deprivation from staying up with baby sure but the difference from the vast majority of parents in the world is they choose that. They choose to deal with baby care. Fact is They don’t technically have to do anything with the baby they don’t want to and acting like oh gosh I am just regular harried parent and have the same issues as Joe Smith ya know is disingenuous at best.

That's not what he is saying at all if you read the article. He's saying he'll read the cards they received when he's up at 4AM with Archie. The rest is the author's own comments based on that.

[Lilyflo]

Originally Posted by MaiaMia_53

I would imagine the Sussexes might have cleaning help on occasion. But aside from that, there's just RPOs residing nearby in accommodations on the grounds. Meghan does her own cooking. Maybe she gets extra assistance in setting up for dinner parties, but she surely does all the cooking even then.

I think it's highly likely they have a full-time housekeeper who oversees the cleaning, laundry, shopping etc plus part-time staff to assist her. They've also probably got a full-time groundsman overseeing the garden, minor maintenance, deliveries etc with part-time extra staff when needed.

The above is the norm for most busy people living in a house & grounds of that size.

In addition, they'll have staff to organise, prepare & maintain their working wardrobes.

They may or may not have a nanny yet but they'll have to appoint one soon so that Meghan can start work again.

[MaiaMia_53]

Yes, before seeing your post, I already added to my previous post the fact M&H would have care and maintenance for their working wardrobes. They surely have some marginal maintenance and upkeep assistance for the house and grounds too, and the ability to acquire immediate help at anytime. But from what I've read by reliable sources, no staff help are live-in at the cottage. Surely, some helpers live nearby on the grounds though. It's certainly cool not to have the worry of needing assistance, and of being able to choose to do however much housework and cooking one pleases, with the knowledge of additional help always at one's fingertips.

The grounds staff are probably regular Windsor Home Park groundskeepers who are not exclusively employed full-time to help the Sussexes. Meghan plans to do her own gardening, and of course she will have help, but I doubt it's going to be extensive full-time help, at least not right away. Sure there would be regular maintenance staff to help with handyman work, deliveries, etc. They probably have drivers too at the ready (maybe among the RPOs), even though they probably both still like to do a lot of their own driving. Modern day royals appear to have an aversion to being looked after hand and foot.

Originally Posted by jacqui24

That's not what he is saying at all if you read the article. He's saying he'll read the cards they received when he's up at 4AM with Archie. The rest is the author's own comments based on that.

And quite clearly Harry is loving every minute of this precious time. I'm sure Meghan is too. She did term even the first couple of days "magical."

Certainly, wealth helps, and Meghan was wealthy before she married into even greater royal wealth, status and privilege. Still, we can see that Harry and Meghan are not caught up in the privileges and trappings of royalty. I'm sure the advantages might be a bit taken for granted to some extent by Harry, since he's never known anything else. But then again, I believe that's another reason why Harry is so utterly happy with a woman who had a working-class upbringing and then achieved her own success through hard work. It provides Harry with insights and perspectives he probably relishes.

Meghan has always been a person who has felt gratitude for her blessings and she takes nothing for granted. I learned this through Meghan's own comments during interviews, and in the way she's always used her hard-won success to give back. This is a key reason how and why these two bonded so quickly. They feel the same way about the importance of giving back, and trying to make the world a better place.

[Ista]

We have absolutely no idea what Meghan and Harry's domestic arrangements are right now, so these definitive statements about how Meghan does all her cooking, or that there is no nanny, etc. are all things we don't know, can't know, and have no need to know.

We also have no idea if she is exclusively nursing, uses supplemental feeds, or if Archie is entirely bottle-fed. And it's none of our business. I think there's a tendency to ascribe all the virtues to royals we admire, but all of these nitty-gritty details are unknowable, unless the royal decides to share it, and as far as I know Harry and Meghan haven't given those specifics.

[amaryllus]

Seems like people are doing their best to turn Meghan Markle into glorified June Cleaver

[MaiaMia_53]

Sure we don't know any details, except what has been allowed by them to be shared with friends and by unidentified close sources to certain reporters such as Omid Scobie who is acquainted with friends of Meghan's. They let us know what they wish, but I'm sure the actual reality is not something any of us can imagine without firsthand knowledge and experience.

Sure it's true that released information doesn't mean we know anything for sure about their household arrangements. Still, close friends have shared that no staff are living at the cottage with them, but staff are readily available on the grounds. I was not speculating about that part. In addition, friends have repeatedly stated that Meghan does her own cooking, and we know she enjoys cooking. But I would speculate she has help on occasion for dinner parties, and of course they don't do all of their own shopping and cleaning. But they surely do some of it. We know Meghan loves to stay busy. She is the one overseeing what happens in her household I would bet. The housekeeper would be following her orders, and I have no reason to disbelieve that they currently don't have live-in help. That will likely change when Meghan returns to full-time royal duties. BTW, Harry once spoke about liking to do his own grocery shopping.

So, there's no doubt that they do go out and do their own shopping at times for incidentals, just as we saw pictures of Kate shopping once during her pregnancy at a home store with one RPO accompanying her. The pictures were surreptitiously taken by an onlooker and apparently sold to newspapers.

LOL re those who don't want to know anything admonishing speculative interest. There is such a thing as vicarious wondering by royal followers. Those who won't admit to wondering a little bit about the lifestyle of royals and of the rich and famous aren't being realistic. That's part of the hoopla that gets clicks and sells known products and clothes worn and used by the royal ladies in particular. But sure, keeping everything in moderation and within perspective is a good thing. There are those pesky lines in this social media age that shouldn't be crossed.

It is definitely obvious though how everything M&H and other royals happen to say during small talk with people they meet often makes its way into online articles that tend to be filled out with additional embellishment, speculation and rehashing of past events.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by MaiaMia_53

As far as we know at the moment, Meghan and Harry do not have any staff helping them at Frogmore, certainly not any nanny help.

I would imagine the Sussexes might have cleaning help on occasion. But aside from that, there's just RPOs residing nearby in accommodations on the grounds. Meghan does her own cooking. Maybe she gets extra assistance in setting up for dinner parties, but she surely does all the cooking even then. Probably their professional wardrobe is managed, cleaned and cared for by assistants, but their casual wear they probably clean themselves in the laundry they surely have inside their home.

Originally Posted by Ista

We have absolutely no idea what Meghan and Harry's domestic arrangements are right now, so these definitive statements about how Meghan does all her cooking, or that there is no nanny, etc. are all things we don't know, can't know, and have no need to know.

We also have no idea if she is exclusively nursing, uses supplemental feeds, or if Archie is entirely bottle-fed. And it's none of our business. I think there's a tendency to ascribe all the virtues to royals we admire, but all of these nitty-gritty details are unknowable, unless the royal decides to share it, and as far as I know Harry and Meghan haven't given those specifics.

I have to agree with Ista. We do not know, and more importantly, do not need to know the domestic arrangements of the Sussex family. How much help they do and do not have is not information that is in the public domain, so I do not think it is correct to put out definitive statements suggesting so.

Originally Posted by Lilyflo

I think it's highly likely they have a full-time housekeeper who oversees the cleaning, laundry, shopping etc plus part-time staff to assist her. They've also probably got a full-time groundsman overseeing the garden, minor maintenance, deliveries etc with part-time extra staff when needed.

The above is the norm for most busy people living in a house & grounds of that size.

In addition, they'll have staff to organise, prepare & maintain their working wardrobes.

They may or may not have a nanny yet but they'll have to appoint one soon so that Meghan can start work again.

I think Lilyflo is right, households of that type will typically include a full time housekeeper, cleaners, a maid, people to take care of the garden, and sometime soon, a nanny.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by amaryllus

Seems like people are doing their best to turn Meghan Markle into glorified June Cleaver

And may the force be with them.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by MaiaMia_53

Sure we don't know any details, except what has been allowed by them to be shared with friends and by unidentified close sources to certain reporters such as Omid Scobie who is acquainted with friends of Meghan's. They let us know what they wish, but I'm sure the actual reality is not something any of us can imagine without firsthand knowledge and experience.

Sure it's true that released information doesn't mean we know anything for sure about their household arrangements. Still, close friends have shared that no staff are living at the cottage with them, but staff are readily available on the grounds. I was not speculating about that part.

I do not believe the Sussex' have ever put out a statement confirming what their domestic arrangements are. Therefore, any stories to that effect are just speculation.

Originally Posted by MaiaMia_53

In addition, friends have repeatedly stated that Meghan does her own cooking, and we know she enjoys cooking. But I would speculate she has help on occasion for dinner parties, and of course they don't do all of their own shopping and cleaning.

She may well enjoy cooking and do quite a lot of it herself, but with a newborn, she may well have the housekeeper put together simple wholesome meals for Harry and her. Alternatively, as they probably have quite a lot of visitors, they may well have a cook on board already. Like as is speculated for Kate, that would not stop Meghan from cooking when she wants to, but it also means that she does not always have to.

[Hallo girl]

Originally Posted by amaryllus

Seems like people are doing their best to turn Meghan Markle into glorified June Cleaver

I had to Google this.....brilliant comment.

I am sure Meghan is doing all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening in her 10 bedroom home