Archie Mountbatten-Windsor has made a rare public appearance to mark his first birthday, in an adorable short film aired to raise money for children left vulnerable by the coronavirus pandemic. A casually dressed Duchess of Sussex cradles her giggling son on her knee while reading to him from one of his favourite books, Duck! Rabbit!, in the clip filmed by Prince Harry in support of Save the Children’s Save with Stories initiative.
Former actor Meghan, dressed in shorts, a denim shirt and a top knot, delivers a suitably animated reading for the birthday boy – complete with duck noises – much to the apparent delight of “Arch”. The Duke of Sussex, who filmed the clip at the weekend at the Sussex family’s new home in LA, can be heard chuckling at his little boy’s wandering attention and attempts to help his mum turn the pages from behind the camera. Harry also gives a cheer at the end of the story, to which his son responds: “Da, da, da!”
A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said they wanted to mark Archie’s birthday by highlighting issues being tackled by Save the Children. The charity created Save With Stories to raise money for children around the world who have been hardest hit by Covid-19, while also raising awareness of the plight of millions of pupils whose education has been disrupted by the virus.
Several celebrity parents have filmed similar story time clips in support of the initiative, including the actor Jennifer Garner, a friend of the Duchess and an ambassador for Save the Children who encouraged her to take part, the charity said. “The family is participating in the campaign across both the US and UK to help bring much-needed support to children who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Sussexes’ spokesperson said. “As they celebrate this family moment, the Duke and Duchess wanted to continue to raise awareness around the urgency of bringing food and learning resources to millions of children.”
“We’re delighted that the Duke and Duchess have chosen to focus attention on the need to protect a generation of children from the consequences of Covid-19,” said Gemma Sherrington, fundraising director at Save the Children UK. “Countries are under huge pressure in responding to the pandemic, and education budgets risk being reduced.”
Back in Britain, Archie’s uncle and aunt, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, sent birthday wishes via their Kensington Royal Instagram account, sharing a photograph of his christening day in July 2019.
Previously published on British Vogue.
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Lead image: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage at Getty Images