Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie appears to following in the footsteps of one of his royal relatives, having taken up a new hobby that takes him outdoors
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children have very little to do with their royal relatives. Nevertheless, it seems their son Archie is following in the footsteps of his late great-grandfather, Prince Philip.
Archie, five, and his younger sister Lilibet are being raised in California and, as a result of their parents’ fallout from the royal family, are largely disconnected from the likes of King Charles and Prince William.
But young Archie has recently picked up a new hobby that would have delighted the late Duke. In episode five of Meghan’s new Netflix series, the mum-of-two recalled some fond family memories, including a sweet anecdote about a fishing trip.
Speaking to her close friends Abigail Spencer and Kelly McKee Zajfen, Meghan, 43, explained how Archie caught two trout on an outing over the summer. She then went on to reveal how she’d had “fun” salt baking the fish with her kids.
“I want them to have great formative memories of being there with me [in the kitchen],” she told Abigail and Kelly.
The wholesome hobby was also hugely popular with the late Prince Philip, who enjoyed spending lazy days on the River Dee in Balmoral where he fished for salmon and trout.
He was known to sometimes spend hours in the water, wearing chest-high protective waders, only breaking to join the Queen and guests for lunch or tea.
Philip passed his passion on to King Charles, who in turn taught his sons, William and Harry, how to fish.
Fishing is by no means Archie’s only outdoor hobby. During a chat with Ellery Hanley MBE, formerly captain of Wigan and Great Britain rugby league teams, in 2020 over video call, Harry revealed that he wanted to pass his passion for sport down to his son Archie, who had developed an interest in rugby.
The Duke of Sussex said at the time: “What I need is a few mini rugby balls that I can then get Archie involved with the game because at the moment it is impossible to find any.
“But I [have] got a little bit of space outside which we are very fortunate to have. So, I need to get him playing some rugby league. But I am just unbelievably fortunate and grateful to have outdoor space and to see my son be able to be outside.”
Although Harry is also interested in rugby, having been patron of both the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League before stepping back as a senior royal in 2020, Archie’s hobby may also see him connect with Mike Tindall in the future.
The son-in-law of Princess Anne was a former England rugby captain and he now hosts the rugby-themed podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
It is believed Mike used to bond with Prince Harry over rugby when they were both members of the Royal Family, with the pair having once had a tight bond. However, following Harry and Meghan’s decision to publicly criticise the royal family – on numerous occasions – it’s thought the two men are no longer close.
