Last weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left baby Archie at home to enjoy a date night out on the town at the London premiere of The Lion King. It was one of only a handful times that the couple has appeared in public together since they became parents two months ago.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex chatted with the cast and crew on the red carpet. Meghan shared a meaningful embrace with Beyoncé and chatted with Billy Eichner about their college days (they went to the same university).
Meghan also had a revealing exchange with Pharrell Williams. Pharrell produced many of the songs on the movie's soundtrack.
Upon greeting the couple, Pharrell congratulated them on their "union" and gave them an inspiring spiel about love.
"We cheer you guys on," he said.
Meghan thanked him, then added: "They don't make it easy."
Who is "they," Meghan?!? Scroll down to read their full conversation.
On Sunday night, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made the rounds on the red carpet of the Lion King premiere. The couple was all smiles as they chatted with the likes of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Pharrell Williams.
When it was Pharrell's turn to greet the Sussexes, he took the opportunity to offer his congratulations and encouragement.
"So happy for your union," he said.
"Love is amazing. It’s wonderful. Don’t ever take that for granted, but what it means in today’s climate, I just wanted to tell you, it’s so significant for so many of us. Seriously. It’s significant. We cheer you guys on," Pharrell told the couple.
Meghan replied, "Thank you. They don't make it easy."
Meghan didn't name any names, but there have been many reports of her having a difficult time with the amount of ruthless criticism that she faces in the spotlight.
Meghan reportedly does not read the tabloids about her. But still, the press in the UK can be really vicious to her, and it's probably impossible not to be affected by it.
She and Harry have decided to live their lives more privately than some other royals; they're raising 2-month-old baby Archie out of the spotlight, for example.
Also on the Lion King red carpet, the new parents received more encouraging advice from the cast.
When they greeted Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the conversation quickly turned to baby Archie. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have three kids of their own, so the four parents chatted about Archie's milestones and family life.
"The best advice I can give you, always find some time for yourself," Jay-Z advised Meghan and Harry.
That seems to be one piece of advice that they've already put into motion. Meghan was heard telling someone else on the red carpet that this was a "date night" for them.
Harry and Meghan left baby Archie at home while they attended the event.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z left their kids at home, too, it turns out. Harry asked about their 2-year-old twins, Rumi and Sir, and Jay-Z explained that the kids don't always fly with them.
"They are not here. They don’t come on every trip," Beyoncé explained. "We left them at home. They would loved to have been here."
It's hard to juggle parenthood with a job that requires so much travel, and Meghan will be able to relate to that life very soon. While she's currently staying at home with Archie on maternity leave, she and Harry already have big travel plans for later this year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that they're taking a royal tour of Southern Africa in fall 2019. They'll continue the work of Harry's late mom, Princess Diana.
Harry will take some of the tour by himself, but Meghan will join him for the South Africa portion of the trip.
The announcement hinted that, in this case, Archie will be accompanying them on the tour.
"This will be their first official tour as a family!" the announcement read.
Archie will be about 6 months old by that time, which is still quite early for a royal baby to go on a royal tour. Prince George was 9 months old when he took his royal tour to New Zealand.
But taking the baby along may be easier, in some ways, than leaving him alone for all that time.
While Meghan and Harry are keeping Archie more out of the spotlight than his royal cousins, they have shared some special family moments with fans on Instagram.
They shared a family photo of Archie's christening, for example. Meghan's mom Doria Ragland was there, along with Princess Diana's aunts, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes.
The Sussexes have not, however, revealed who Archie's godparents are, nor do they plan to. That information will remain completely private.
Again, this is unusual for the royal family; Kate Middleton and Prince William were public about their children's christenings and godparents.
When you receive as much backlash as Meghan does, it's totally understandable that she wants to do things this way, which is likely what she was hinting at when she spoke with Pharrell!
