Prince Harry Got ‘High’ on ‘Laughing Gas’ And Ate Chicken as Meghan Markle Went Into Labour

When Archie Mountbatten-Windsor was born on May 6, 2019, Harry and Meghan introduced him to the world outside London's Portland Hospital, following the tradition.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are thrilled to share their first public moment as a family," they announced.

Though Prince Harry and Prince William, along with other royal family members, including William’s children, were all born at St Mary’s Hospital, the Sussexes chose Portland Hospital for Archie’s birth.

"Harry and Meghan were overjoyed to welcome their son safely at London’s private Portland Hospital, even before the palace press confirmed the duchess was in labor."

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They also posted pictures of Archie meeting his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for the first time.

As Archie grew, Harry and Meghan took him on a trip to South Africa, where they met Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “Thank you, Archbishop Tutu, for your incredibly warm hospitality; Archie loved meeting you!” they shared on Instagram, along with photos of the occasion.

Beyond that trip, they have generally kept their children out of the spotlight as much as possible.

This privacy shifted when their Netflix documentary series, which included six episodes, was released. In the first episode, the Sussexes offered viewers a rare glimpse into their family life at their Montecito, California home, often described as highly secure.

With this documentary, fans were able to see Archie and Lilibet up close.

Netflix

The children have mainly lived in the U.S., away from the royal family, with only brief visits to the UK on a few occasions, including Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. During that trip, the Sussexes celebrated Lili's birthday with a small party.

In his memoir, Spare, Harry shared a candid memory of the day he first became a father. To steady his nerves while Meghan was in labor, Harry admits he used laughing gas.

"I found two ways to help myself relax. One was Nando’s chicken (thanks to our bodyguards), and the other was a canister of laughing gas beside Meg’s bed. I took several slow, deep breaths,” Harry wrote.

"Meghan was calm, and I was calm too."

He continued, “Meg, bouncing on a big purple ball—a method to help speed up labor—laughed and rolled her eyes at me. I took a few more deep breaths, and soon I was bouncing along with her.”

Harry then described how a nurse later tried to offer Meghan the gas for pain relief, only to find it had already been used up.

“I could see her slowly realize, ‘Goodness, the husband took it all.’ ‘Sorry,’ I said sheepishly.”

After that, Meghan received an epidural to help ease her pain.

"The anesthetist quickly entered. The music stopped, the lights turned up. The whole vibe changed."

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