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Prince Harry Reveals What Queen Elizabeth Said About Archie & Lilibet During Final Family Visit Before Her Passing

What a beautiful memory

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Queen Elizabeth sadly passed away at age 96 back in 2022. But Prince Harry will always remember the time she spent with his two children, Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2. 

In a newly resurfaced excerpt from his memoir, Spare (courtesy of Buzzfeed News), Prince Harry recalled “the final visit” between his kids and his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. The Duke of Sussex, 39, began by describing his children’s behavior during the long-awaited meeting. 

“Archie making deep, chivalrous bows, his baby sister Lilibet cuddling the monarch’s shins,” he wrote.

prince harry queen elizabeth kids before passing archie
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Queen Elizabeth immediately complimented the kids on their manners. “Sweetest children, Granny said, sounding bemused,” Prince Harry added.

The Duke of Sussex revealed that Queen Elizabeth was surprised by how well behaved the children were. “She’d expected them to be a bit more...American, I think?” he said. “Meaning, in her mind, more rambunctious.”

prince harry queen elizabeth kids before passing meghan markle
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Prince Harry also admitted that Queen Elizabeth’s death affected the way he interacted with his children when he returned to California following the funeral. It also reminded him of how precious that final visit was.

“For days and days, we couldn’t stop hugging the children, couldn't let them out of our sight,” he continued, referring to wife Meghan Markle. “Though I also couldn’t stop picturing them with Granny.”

We don’t blame him. 

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greta

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...