Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan released a brand-new video featuring their son Archie this week to mark his first birthday, and, unsurprisingly, it took only a few minutes for fans to go into a complete state of meltdown over it.
They had a good reason – the video marks one of only a handful of times we’ve been able to clap eyes on baby Archie.
The two royals are renowned for keeping their personal life under wraps – and that well and truly includes their son.
The last time we saw baby Archie on video was back in September when Harry and Meghan went on a royal tour of South Africa.
Back then, the four-month-old was exactly as you’d expect him to be – small, curious and rather content to sit still and inquisitive as his parents did the talking.
This time around, it was a little different.
In the video, released in time for his first birthday on May 6, Meghan is seen reading him the book Duck! Rabbit!. Filmed by Prince Harry, the clip captured a beautiful moment for the family as they settle into their new home in Los Angeles.
While the two minute video was a spectacle in itself, there were plenty of sweet little details dotted throughout it that eagle-eyed fans picked up on.
We take a look the best, albeit subtle bits you might have missed.
1. Archie is speaking
Like many babies, Archie was rife with coo’s and little noises as he wriggled about in his mum’s arms.
But did you notice a moment right at the end when Archie looks up to his dad and says, “Dada”?
We certainly did, and boy did our hearts melt into oblivion.
Watch the moment below:
In another point in the video, fans were also convinced that Archie says: “Can you get this?”, when he drops a book on the floor.
If you listen really closely, you’ll likely hear it too…
2. The video was filmed for a good cause
While the video itself was exciting enough to see in its own right, Meghan and Harry carefully selected how it would be released.
They made the most of the undisputed fact that it would generate millions of views within hours by collaborating with an important social cause, releasing the video on its own platform to drive more awareness for it.
The chosen charity? Save the Children.
The charity (which has an Australian branch found here) is taking part in a trending initiative called #savewithstories, which is highlighting support for vulnerable children, especially during this difficult time.
In addition, Archie’s great-aunt Princess Anne has been a patron of Save the Children since 2016, so it is already close to the hearts of the family.
Archie’s favourite book, Duck! Rabbit! was read as part of the #savewithstories initiative.
(Save the Children / The Duke of Sussex)3. Meghan’s low-key outfit
Ever the Californian cool girl, Meghan’s casual-chic outfit was also not to be missed.
For the video, which was likely captured in the last few weeks, she is seen wearing a denim style shirt (believed to be from J.Crew) and beige shorts – the perfect low-key ensemble for a day at home.
Accessories-wise, Meghan wore several handmade beaded bracelets, uncannily like Harry’s staple bracelet he always wears from Africa.
There’s no doubt these bracelets hold a special meaning to the Duchess, who almost always wears accessories that hold some form of significance.
While it’s not clear who said bracelets are from, they’re also undoubtedly quite fun for her young son to play with – whilst remaining safely on her wrist of course!
And beyond anything, the 90s friendship bracelet trend well and truly seems to be back in vogue – so we’ll just be calmly heading off to buy our own set now.
Meghan’s beaded bracelets stood out in the video.
(Save the Children / The Duke of Sussex)4. Harry is heard in the background of the video
While fans were completely smitten with seeing Archie try to speak to his dad, it seems like his dad was just as excited.
At a couple of points during the sweet video, cameraman Harry is heard encouraging his young son as he reads the book.
Did you catch that cheeky giggle and yell of “bravo!” in the background? Catch it in full in the player at the top!
5. The mysterious ‘other’ book
While Archie was well and truly embroiled for a time in the ventures of Duck! Rabbit!, like many toddlers his attention span was test a little.
So when he picked up another book and started throwing it around for fun, fans were quick to try to work out which title Archie was getting so distracted by.
Luckily, some eagle-eyed writers at HELLO! pinpointed the title, which is understood to be Is Your Mama a Llama?. The book is written by Deborah Guarino and was published in 1997.
The mysterious second book Archie seemed interested in appears to be Is Your Mama a Llama?, by Deborah Guarino.
