Meghan Markle and Prince Harry© Karwai Tang,Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prince Harry reveals what his kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are 'blessed' with

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son is 5 and their daughter is 3


OCTOBER 8, 2024 3:50 PM EDT

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have inherited their mom Meghan Markle's "thick hair." Prince Harry opened up about his five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter while at the annual WellChild Awards in London last month. 

Sophie Vokes-Dudgeon, chief content officer of HOLA! USA's sister brand HELLO!, met the Duke of Sussex at the event. In this week's issue of HELLO!, Sophie wrote, "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."

© Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images

Sophie added: "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."

While Archie and Lilibet have their mom's thick hair, Harry has previously noted that his "ginger gene" is "a strong one." During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2023, host Stephen Colbert remarked that both Archie and Lilibet are redheads.

"The Spencer gene is very, very strong," Harry said, referencing his mother's side of the family. "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!" 

Harry, who turned 40 on Sept. 15, has called his children the "best gift" that he's ever received. Ahead of his recent milestone birthday, the Prince told PEOPLE via his spokesperson: “The best gift I've ever been given is, without doubt, my kids. I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad.” According to Sophie, Harry said at the 2024 WellChild Awards that he was "enjoying being 40 and had been told by friends that it was the best decade, so he had high hopes for it."