Why This Gift For Archie Blew Prince Harry Away

It has recently been Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor Central since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced her birth on June 6 (she was born two days prior). The conversation over Lili's name, which honors both Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and his mother Princess Diana, dominated heavily, for one. Some found it sweet the Sussexes acknowledged familial ties in a time of seemingly great mutual tension. "Babies are the beginning of all possibilities," one Twitter user wrote with optimism. Some, like royal biographer Angela Levin. thought "Lilibet" inappropriate. "I think it's quite rude to Her Majesty Her Queen," Levin said on "Good Morning Britain" on June 7 (via Page Six), claiming that "it was a very private nickname from her husband."

Given that they are still somewhat involved in the royal family, many wondered what types of gloriously packaged, exquisite baby presents they can expect. In addition to a public congratulations via Instagram saying they were "delighted by the happy news," an Us Weekly source revealed Harry's brother Prince William and wife Kate Middleton also forwarded the Sussexes a physical gift for the occasion. 

The Cambridges might have a lot to live up to, baby present-wise, if "The Me You Can't See" director Dawn Porter offered any indication. Here's why her gift for Lili's older brother, Archie, had Harry "flipping out."

It isn't easy to wow a prince with a gift, one would presume, which made Prince Harry's reaction to Dawn Porter's present for Archie extra-special. As she disclosed on an episode of theGRIO's "Acting Up," the director behind Harry's series "The Me You Can't See" first met Harry shortly after Archie's birth in May 2019. Invited by co-executive producer Oprah Winfrey, Porter recalled thinking, "I don't know what you give a prince, but I figured he had everything and he had a baby."

So Porter compiled a gift bundle with items from the African-American Museum at the Smithsonian, including "a red, black and green onesie and some books about brown babies and like, loving yourself." According to Porter, Harry "flipped out" upon seeing Archie's presents, gushing, "This is his culture. This is his background." As fans know, Meghan Markle is biracial. "He just couldn't get over the gift," Porter recalled fondly. She noted this was a characteristic response for Harry, whom she called "curious and very respectful" — and what made him so fitting to spearhead a series destigmatizing mental health dialogue across "a wide range of people across the globe."

"I think despite the fact that he comes from where he comes from...he really has a lot of empathy and a lot more in common with people of different races than most people think," Porter observed. What a positive (and controversy-free) story for the Sussexes!