Archie’s playdates, dinner with friends and nursery pick-ups: Meghan and Harry’s LA life

Meghan Markle has offered a glimpse into the Sussexes’ seemingly charming family life in California, saying the couple are ‘building a community’ in the luxury enclave of Montecito. 

Speaking to The Cut – part of New York magazine, the duchess painted a near ambrosial picture of life in California incorporating dinners with ‘safe harbor’ friends, taking Archie to his friends’ birthday parties and polo matches with Harry – although the 41-year-old said the nursery run is impossible to do without being papped by an army of photographers. 

During the exclusive interview with the fashion publication, which took place at the couple’s luxury $14.7m home in the exclusive residential hills near Santa Barbara, Meghan revealed how she enjoys dinners with old ‘safe harbor’ friends, including feminist icon, Gloria Steinem and makeup entrepreneur Victoria Jackson. 

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Meghan Markle spoke to The Cut magazine, revealing insights into the Sussexes new life in California, telling the magazine the family are ‘building a community’ in Montecito

During the candid interview, the 41-year-old recounted tales of birthday parties at the homes of Archie’s friends, saying the couple are building a community

Little Archie, who’s described as having a mop of ginger curls, clearly dictates some of the couple’s schedule, with the Sussexes attending toddler parties. 

Meghan regaled during the interview how some residents are hesitant in the couple’s presence, and surprised when they even show up at birthday parties. 

She said: ‘I was in a bouncy castle, and I saw this 1-year-old inside. I was like, “Where’s your mom?” And this mom on the outside goes, “Oh, hi! I’m here. I wasn’t sure if I should come in.’ “

The 41-year-old reveals she told her: “Do you need your child? Of course you can come in.”

The fashion magazine also joins Meghan on a pre-school run to collect Archie, saying that the little boy shouts ‘Momma, Momma, Momma’ when he spots the duchess. 

Meghan told the publication that a legion of paparazzi await their son’s daily arrival, saying that being aggrieved by it ‘doesn’t make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child.’ 

‘Safe harbor’: Meghan revealed how she enjoys dinners with old friends, including feminist icon, Gloria Steinem (pictured in July in New York with Steinem) and entrepreneur Victoria Jackson, who the family visit on her Santa Barbara ranch

Meghan admitted in the article that the mother of a child at a recent party attended by Archie hesitated when in her presence

Gloria Steinem, the political activist who has recruited Meghan in her fight to get Congress to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment – a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, also remains a close friend, and she introduced the couple to 80s makeup entrepreneur Victoria Jackson.

At the beginning of the month, Meghan celebrated her 41st birthday at Jackson’s ranch close to Santa Barbara, where Harry plays polo for Los Padres, and the couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, have spent time petting the businesswoman’s mini pigs on her sprawling farm.

Jackson appears on an upcoming episode of Meghan’s podcast Archetypes and tells The Cut that the couple are ‘good people’, saying she wants to help them ‘get out of the house because it’s complicated for them to go anywhere’.

Harry has settled into the polo playing set, turning out at a round robin tournament in Aspen, Colorado last week

Last week, Prince Harry turned out to play polo in a round robin tournament in Aspen, Colorado, and the sport the prince has loved since being a child has clearly also been key to the couple establishing themselves across the Pond.

Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Figueras, 45, an Argentine actor, model, polo player, and longtime friend of Harry’s who competed alongside him at the Sentebale Polo Cup in Colorado on Thursday, is clearly a close confidant.  

Nacho first met the royal, 37, in 2007 at a charity match hosted by Sentebale and the couple decamping to California has only firmed up their friendship. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 3, on their last visit

The Queen speaks to guests during a visit to open a new building at Thames Hospice in Maidenhead, Berkshire, on July 15

The couple  are very unlikely to visit the Queen at Balmoral when they return to Britain for a brief trip next week, a royal expert said today as he warned the ‘family rift is getting worse, not better’.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have an ongoing row about their security with the Home Office – and tensions with the Royal Family have been deepened by mounting concerns over what will be published in Harry’s upcoming biography, and Meghan making veiled criticisms of the family in her new Spotify podcast released last week.

Royal expert Phil Dampier told MailOnline today that he would be ‘very surprised’ if the Sussexes visit the Queen at Balmoral, where she is likely to remain for the next few weeks as concerns grow over her mobility issues.

He added that there is little ‘goodwill on both sides’ and that the royals will be ‘wary’ of Harry amid what could be in his book. Mr Dampier also said that a ‘visit to Scotland would create awkward family tensions for everyone’.