The Sussex children are taking after their mother

The Duke of Sussex has shared a sweet tidbit about his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, revealing that the youngsters have been “blessed” with their mother Meghan Markle’s long, thick hair.

In this week’s issue of HELLO!, chief content officer Sophie Vokes-Dudgeon writes about meeting Harry at last month’s WellChild Awards. Harry, 40, is patron of the children’s charity and has been attending the annual awards for years, while HELLO! is a long-time media partner.

“I knew that the WellChild Awards were special to Prince Harry, but it wasn’t until I had seen him in action that I was able to understand quite how much this special day means to the 40-year-old royal,” Sophie, who attended the ceremony, writes.

Harry has been patron of WellChild for years

“From the moment he arrived in the reception room, he had an infectious energy about him, and there were no airs and graces at all as he chatted animatedly about his own children ahead of the event.”

Sophie adds: “Archie and Lili have been blessed with their mother’s thick hair, he told us, self- effacingly, as he marvelled that it won’t be long until Lili can sit on hers.

“He was enjoying being 40 and had been told by friends that it was the best decade, so he had high hopes for it.

“His wonderful wife Meghan was holding the fort, he said, her hands full with not only their two children but also their three dogs, which he joked were not quite house-trained. Not to mention the chickens!”

Harry opened up about his daughter’s long hair, saying that “it won’t be long until Lili can sit on hers”

Sophie adds that the father-of-two was “in his element”. “The real joy for Harry is the time he spends with the children, parents and professionals being celebrated on the night.

“Our royal editor Emily Nash accompanies him each year and is genuinely moved each time as she observes the Duke down on his knees with the children, joking, laughing and raising smiles while he plays with the kids – something that has become even more profound for him since he became a father himself.”

Archie and Lili’s hair

While Archie and Lili are rarely seen in public, they have made fleeting appearances on their parents’ Netflix documentary and have also been pictured on the Sussexes’ past Christmas cards.

Their beautiful red hair has been on full display, although Archie’s has changed from a brighter red to a slightly darker auburn over the years, while Lili almost looks blonde in some lighting.

Harry has previously opened up about his children’s “ginger genes”.

During an interview on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, he divulged: “The Spencer gene is very, very strong. I actually really, genuinely thought at the beginning of my relationship [with Meghan] that should this go the distance and we have kids that there’s no way the ginger gene will stand up to my wife’s genes, but I was wrong!”

All three of Princess Diana’s siblings – Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and Earl Spencer, boast naturally vibrant red hair, a unique trait that was later passed on to Harry.