WHAT THEY’LL THEIR TEACH KIDS
he explained when she skipped an event in Australia.
After the baby arrives, Harry — who’s long criticized the “incessant” intrusions into his private life — will be even more protective. “He grew up with the world watching his every move, which has made him very private and somewhat resentful of the role he was born into,” says the insider. “So he’s keen to keep them out of the public eye, and they’ll of course have 24/7 security.”
And though the pair have a home in the cozy two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, both have agreed to raise their kids primarily outside of the city. For now, they’ll be setting up a nursery at their rented $5.4 million estate in the Cotswolds. “They’re never
in London unless they’re doing something work-related,” says the palace insider, noting that the country home is where Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, stays, and also where they entertain friends. “They want to have their child start their life there rather than behind the gates of Kensington Palace.”
THE AMERICAN WAY
That’s where Meghan will take over. “She’ll be keen to bring up children who know the values of normal things in life and to experience the real world,” Scobie tells Us. She and Harry will go beyond what his beloved late mother, Princess Diana, tried to give her kids by taking them to amusement parks and homeless shelters — they’ll live a far more regular life than their cousins, Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince Louis, 6 months. (They might even get their hand-me-downs!) “Meghan will take her kids on a subway. They’ll have chores, and jobs one day,” notes Scobie. The kids will be from a wealthy background, of course, but will be taught to “learn the value of a penny,” adds the palace insider. “They won’t be spoiled.”
To that end, they both agree that their children won’t be given royal titles. “Meghan doesn’t want to offend the royal family — she knows she has a role and needs to meet a lot of obligations — but she’s keen for her kids to not be drawn into that,” says the insider, noting that the reigning monarch (whether it’s Prince Charles or, down the line, William) always has the option of giving Harry’s kids a title later on.
Another big break with tradition: This child will be the first heir to the English throne (the baby will be seventh in line) who’s part American. While he or she likely won’t have dual citizenship, “Meghan doesn’t want to lose her culture. She wants her children to understand her personal ethnic background and what [his or her] roots are,” says the insider, adding that Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July will be celebrated in Meghan and Harry’s home. “It will be the same as we saw at their wedding: a mix of U.S. and U.K. coming together,” Scobie tells Us. “Their child will be a member of the royal family — but it won’t be what defines them.”