In an idyllic and exclusive enclave in the Californian Hills, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, alongside their children, Archie, three, and one-year-old Lilibet, appear the happiest they’ve ever been.
Now a source says that, after an emotional few weeks as they mourned the Queen’s passing last month, Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, have spent some time assessing their own lives and goals, and are keen to add a third baby to their brood.
The source says, “They’re both very open to expanding their family and would love it to happen, and for Archie and Lili to have another sibling.
“It’s a dream come true to be a family of four, but adding one more to the mix would be even more wonderful.
“Meghan’s healthy, Harry is a brilliant dad, their marriage just keeps on getting stronger and they’ve taken to parenthood like ducks to water.”
Sadly, Meghan’s first experience of motherhood was overshadowed by her mental health battle during her pregnancy and in the months following Archie’s birth in May 2019.
Meghan revealed during the couple’s interview with Oprah how she had been haunted by thoughts of suicide and alleged she was refused help by palace staff.
In the latest episode of her Archetypes podcast, Meghan describes reaching her “worst point” and being in a “dire state” when Harry was finally able to find her a referral to a mental health professional.
During the Oprah interview in March 2021, Meghan was pregnant with Lilibet and looked glowing and happy after having tragically suffered a miscarriage a few months previously in 2020.
The source reveals how the lack of paparazzi in their millionaires’ neighbourhood has allowed her and Harry to be “very hands-on and involved” in their children’s lives – taking Archie to nursery and enjoying local bike rides.
In 2019, keen environmental activist Harry revealed he would have only ever have “two, maximum” children, and Meghan quipped during her interview with US chat show host Ellen Degeneres that “one is a hobby, two is parenting” when discussing the challenges of welcoming a second child.
But Harry, who last week joked that he has “five children” including his three dogs, and Meghan have done U-turns in the past – such as insisting they wanted to live a “private life” when they left the royal family, but instead doing a number of TV shows and interviews.
It’s certainly been a turbulent time for the couple – who stepped down from being senior royals in 2020 – as they’ve struggled to heal their ongoing rift with the royals following their interview with Oprah, during which they also alleged shocking claims of racism and bullying within the palace walls.
However, since flying back to reunite with their children after almost three week in London, the couple appear happy, with Meghan previously telling Oprah, “The most important title I’ll ever have is Mum”.
Now the source says the couple would love to expand their family, and the recent reports of them upsizing from their nine-bedroom mansion to an even bigger property has been a driving factor.
“They’ll definitely have a lot more space when they move to a larger mansion.
“They’ve always played it down and said two children would be the maximum number, but being parents has brought them more joy and purpose than anything they ever imagined.
“Things can change, situations can change, and there’s certainly more than enough love in their hearts to welcome another and Meghan has told Harry she thinks another baby would bring them closer.”
But with their feud with the royals rumbling on and Harry’s upcoming memoir set to be released within weeks, the couple are still caught in a catch-22 with their family.
Despite reportedly wanting to rebuild bridges next year, in what has been called a “year of reconciliation”, Harry and Meghan are still tied to several contracts, including their upcoming docu-series, which Netflix is reported to want to release at the same time as the next series of The Crown in November.
And the source adds that they’ll try for their third child after things have simmered down and they’ve got less on their plate.
The source says, “Right now they need to get Harry’s memoir toned down and published, the Netflix docu-series needs to wrap and then it’ll be time to kick back and take romantic trips together while trying to patch things up with the royals. They want next year to be a year of positivity – rebuilding relationships, and hopefully welcoming a new little one into their lives.”
