Why Meghan and Harry are following in Princess Anne's footsteps

The Sussexes and Princess Anne broke with this tradition

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa
(Image credit: Photo by Toby Melville/Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan seem to be following in Princess Anne’s footsteps when it comes to raising their young son Archie, breaking with royal tradition.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, back in May 2019, to the delight of the Royal Family and royal fans alike. Whilst many speculated about the possible names or titles their son would hold, the couple went on to break with royal tradition, opting for Archie to have a surname that reflected both Prince Philip and the Queen. 

It’s unknown whether the Queen ever offered to award her great-grandson a title, but if she did, it seems to have been turned down. If this is indeed the case, this was not the first instance of this within the Royal Family. 

Princess Anne, the Duke of Sussex’s aunt, is understood to have turned down the offer of titles for her own children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, when they were born. This was reportedly due to hopes for her children to live a more normal life. 

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What other royal tradition did Princess Anne break?

This wasn’t the only way that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s child-rearing choices have followed in Princess Anne’s footsteps. Traditionally many royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have employed a nanny trained at the prestigious Norland College. 

However, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan decided against following this royal tradition and Princess Anne and her ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips did the same. 

In his book, Princess Anne, biographer Nicholas Courtney reportedly explained: “Like most of the ‘old guard’ nannies, the royal ones are used to moving around within the family and caring for the new generation.”

“The faithful ‘Alla’ (Clare Knight) who was nanny to the later Strathmore children and in particular Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the Queen Mother, was recalled from a sister when she in turn needed a nanny for her children," he continued.

“When Princess Anne needed a nanny for Peter, her former nanny, Mabel Anderson, was available.”

There were later reports, claiming that an argument took place between Princess Anne and her nanny, none of which have been confirmed. 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Princess Anne, Princess Royal attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel on October 12, 2018 in Windsor, England.

(Image credit: Photo by Owen Humphreys - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

“Whatever the truth of the story, she was replaced by a non-royal nanny, taking the Phillips children yet one step further outside the royal sphere of influence” Mr. Courtney added.

“Princess Anne is particularly keen to spare her children the glare of public attention.”

Do Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have a nanny?

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are similarly keen to preserve Archie’s privacy. In their biography, Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed that the Sussexes struggled with nannies for Archie after he was born and that “[a]fter a few weeks, they decided to take on nights themselves and went without a night nurse entirely.”

It’s been suggested that they eventually hired a nanny to work just weekdays, though it’s not known whether they have a nanny with them at their new home in California. 

Meanwhile, Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall is currently pregnant with her third child. 

This new royal baby will be the tenth great-grandchild for the Queen.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!