Top News

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been urged to do one thing as they move into the next chapter of their lives with their eldest child, Prince Archie. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son turned seven earlier this month.

Archie, who was born in Britain but has been living in the US since 2020, was miles away from his royal relative when he marked his special day on May 6. The last time the Sussexes came back to the UK as a family was in the summer of 2022, for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Now, the Daily Express has spoken to a child psychologist, who has shared insights into what children at Prince Archie's age experience and what that entails for their parents and, subsequently, Harry and Meghan.

Dr Frankie Harrison, clinical psychologist specialising in perinatal and family mental health and member of the Emma's Diary medical advisory board, said that children at the age of seven, which is a "significant age developmentally", experience a major shift regarding their thinking.

She explained: "Around this time, children move out of more magical, egocentric thinking and into what we'd call concrete operational thinking."

Dr Harrison said that children are more likely to make sense of complex social situations in a way they didn't before and have "bigger questions".

And she added that the best thing that parents can do is simply "acknowledge their questions honestly and age appropriately.

The child psychologist explained: "If questions aren't answered, children tend to fill in the blanks.

"So providing concrete, honest narratives is important at this age."

She concluded: "The relationship you're building right now is the foundation for adolescence. Trust, openness, and the message that no question is too awkward."

It is not known how many times Archie has met his royal relatives, but reports suggest it has been no more than a handful.

The only official encounter between the royals and the Sussex children that's been recorded was the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.