Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their first podcast episode on Spotify on Dec. 29 with a special surprise for their listeners as their 19-month-old son, Archie Harrison, was heard talking for the first time. The toddler said, "Happy New Year!" after some prodding from his dad.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's debut podcast from Archewell Audio ran for 34 minutes. At the 32-minute mark, Harry was heard coaxing his son to speak to the microphone while Meghan asked Archie if he's having fun.
The toddler exclaimed, "Fun!" and then giggled at his mom. His parents then slowly encouraged him to repeat "Happy New Year" word for word, which Archie successfully did and they all ended up laughing after.
A debate ensued among Twitter users who listened to the podcast, with some saying that Archie has an American accent while others said the baby sounded British. According to < em> The Sun , other royal fans also admitted that they teared up after hearing the Sussex baby's voice for the first time, according to The Sun.
Archie, who was born in London in May 2019, left with his parents for Canada in November that same year. In January 2020, Harry and Meghan had to return home for their final royal duties with Queen Elizabeth.
Archie stayed behind in Canada under the care of his grandmother, Doria Ragland. By March, the Sussex family moved to Los Angeles, but Archie has not been back to London since flying out with his parents when he was still six months old.
But royal author Ingrid Seward told The Sun that Harry and Meghan appear like they had to "wheel out" their son if it suits them when they've been filing lawsuits against tabloids and paparazzi that violate Archie's privacy. Seward said that the Sussex couple isn't practicing what they preach and called their first podcast, "nauseating."
Harry and Meghan landed a multi-million dollar and multi-year deal with Spotify to produce podcast episodes beginning 2021. Their inaugural episode featured several celebrity guests like Elton John, Tyler Perry, James Corden, Deepak Chopra, Naomi Osaka, Matt Haig, Stacey Abrams, Brené Brown, and José Andrés.
According to CNN, the podcast guests made "audio diaries" to discuss their feelings, thoughts, and experiences about this historic year with the COVID-19 threat still looming. Harry and Meghan also hinted at overcoming their challenges, especially with their rumored rift with the royal family, by saying that "love wins" at the end.
Harry and Meghan ended their podcast episode with the song, "This Little Light of Mine," which was also played on their wedding day. Harry said that the song has a message "they hold so dearly" because it is about making the world a better place.
