Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'can't agree' on this very important aspect of their parenting

The issues reportedly stem from Harry's own childhood

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
(Image credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Meghan reportedly 'can't agree' on 'certain approaches' to parenthood as Harry is fearful of the past repeating itself while Meghan is 'ready to move on' and live in the present for their children. 


While Meghan Markle and her and Prince Harry's children are filling their summer days with 'picnics, barbecues, and laying out by the pool,' Harry is seemingly distracted with ongoing legal battles over privacy breaches in the UK. 

The couple may have left the country three years ago after stepping down as senior royals in 2020 to start their new life, but Harry is seemingly struggling to move on from the past and it's beginning to have an effect on his children future's in a different way than he hoped. 

Prince Harry has always been keen to involve his children in old family traditions such as Lilibet's historic name that's seeped in royal history and the trip he is set to take Archie on that has a special connection to his mum Princess Diana, who passed away in 1997. But while experts have warned that Archie and Lilibet’s ‘non-existent’ relationship with their cousins could affect them negatively, Harry's obsession with the past may be a threat closer to home and Meghan Markle has reportedly already picked up on it. 

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor

(Image credit: Netflix)

According to an insider, Prince Harry and Meghan 'disagree' over certain aspects of their parenting styles, with Harry wanting to pursue legal battles to ensure his children's safety in the future in a way that his was not, while Meghan wants to 'move on' from all the 'legal stuff' and focus on their 'beautiful life' in the present.

It's not just the legal battles, but the approach to Archie and Lilibet's privacy in general, the source says. Harry reportedly has an obsession with security and privacy while Meghan wants to take a more relaxed approach and raise the children openly in California.

An insider told The Sun, "They disagree sometimes on certain approaches. Meghan would love to be done with all the legal stuff. But she's still supportive of him as she knows how important it is to him.

"But she's ready to move on. They have a beautiful life in California and new friends. Montecito is paradise. Harry is very outdoorsy, he loves it there."

Harry may be enjoying his new life but it seems that he is stuck in the past and is full of fear that his own children may suffer like he did as a youngster. This fear, according to the source, is what's driving him to pursue lengthy legal action even though his wife doesn't feel like it's the best thing to do for their children at this time. 

The source added, "There is a difference in how he has grown up. He fears for his own children because of what he has gone through."

Archie Mountbateen-Windsor, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

(Image credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)

At the moment, it appears the Harry's desires are winning over Meghan's. Archie and Lilibet are rarely seen outside of the family’s mansion in Montecito and even sightings of Harry and Meghan themselves are rare. 

The influences of Harry's childhood on his own style of parenting are evident across the board and not all appear to cause arguments between him and Meghan. On the positive end of the spectrum, during a livestream event for his memoir Spare that came out earlier this year, Harry revealed how the lack of physical contact he experienced as a child continues to influence both his and Meghan's decisions when it comes to their kids.

He shared, "It leaves me in the position how as a father, I have two kids of my own, making sure that I smother them with love and affection. 

"But in the sense that I as a father feel a huge responsibility to ensure that I don't pass on any traumas or negative experiences I've had. And that's work, that's putting in the work, and daily, being conscious of my behaviour, of my reactions to both of my kids.

"And there are times when I catch myself in a moment when I should be smothering them with that love and in that moment, I might not be, reminding myself [to]. I wouldn't have been as aware of it had I not done the therapy and work that I've done."

News writer

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.