Prince Harry against Prince Charles' £18,000 birthday gift to Archie? Report denies claims

Prince Archie's fifth birthday - May 6 - coincides with the first anniversary of King Charles' coronation.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son, Prince Archie, turned five today, i.e., May 6. With the Duke's upcoming trip to the UK on the horizon, the family appears to be celebrating Archie's day privately. Call it fate or not, but the young prince's fifth birthday also coincides with the first anniversary of his grandfather's coronation.

This official handout Christening photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (centre left), and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex holding their baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor flanked by (L-R) Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Ms Doria Ragland, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, west of London on July 6, 2019. (AFP)

Amidst the complicated affair that is the royal family's distanced ties across the US and the UK, a new report has emerged, suggesting that King Charles wanted to give his grandson an extraordinary gift worth £18,000. However, the Sussexes seemed to have allegedly rejected the plans. The convoluted story got further tangled up when a source close to the Sussex couple denied claims of Harry blocking his father's desire to give Archie a present.

A report revealed by The Mirror stated that royal author Tom Quinn had intel on King Charles wanting to give Archie an exquisitely unique shepherd's hut-themed playhouse. The full-fledged establishment reportedly also had bunks and bookshelves. Quinn also divulged that the monarch had gifted Prince William's son, Prince George, a similar hut. With the same gift to Archie, he hoped to demonstrate that no favouritism was at play despite the royal family's estrangement from the California-settled younger royal couple.

According to The Mirror, Quinn paints a sour image of Meghan Markle, who he claims is encouragingly associating Archie's birthday “with all things American.” The author alleged that Archie, on the other hand, was “constantly asking” about his royal roots in the UK.

Per Quinn's claims, Archie affectionately views the image of his grandfather residing in a castle. Apprehensive of their son's growing interest in the Royal Family, the author purported that the Sussex couple turned down the lavish gift. However, a source close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has now reportedly refuted these allegations.

Contrarily, Quinn told The Mirror: “Charles hates the idea that Harry might think he favours one grandchild over another, and he has already given Prince George a similar hut which reputedly cost a cool £18,000.” He pushed the buttons on the story against Harry and Meghan, claiming, “(King Charles) would love to give Archie something similar but knows that Meghan and Harry are against it.”

Although Prince Archie was born in the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the Royal Family and moved to California in June 2020. Ultimately, their daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born in the US in 2021. The young royal siblings, living in the US, have only visited the UK once since their parents switched continents.