Harry and Meghan Turn to Family for Childcare ‘Meghan Feels Much More Comfortable’
Prince William and Kate Middleton may have opted for a Norland nanny with a substantial six-figure salary to care for their three children, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen a different path.
Insiders reveal that the Sussexes have decided to keep childcare within the family, with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, stepping into the role of nanny. This decision follows a series of unsuccessful stints with professional nannies over the years, according to the Express.
“Harry and Meghan have employed various nannies in the past, but now that Doria has moved in with them, she’s stepped up to help with the kids,” shared a source. “There’s sometimes extra help, but Doria is working closely with Meghan to ensure the children are raised in a tight-knit and loving family setting.”
Initially, the Sussexes hired Lorren Khumalo, a pediatric nurse and consultant, to look after Prince Archie shortly after his birth. At that time, the family resided at Frogmore Cottage before announcing their decision to step back from royal duties and move to the United States.
In an interview last year, Khumalo recalled her first visit to Frogmore Cottage to meet Harry and Meghan. Despite receiving a speeding ticket en route, she was put at ease by Harry’s relaxed and friendly manner, describing the home as very “normal” and Harry as “barefoot.”
However, the Sussexes’ experience with nannies was not without its challenges. Meghan and Harry were forced to dismiss a night nanny after an unsettling incident with Archie, which made them cautious about subsequent hires. This incident, detailed in Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s biography “Finding Freedom,” described how the couple had to let the nurse go on her second night for being “unprofessional and irresponsible.”
The experience reportedly left the Duke and Duchess of Sussex nervous about their next nanny. Consequently, they decided to handle night duties themselves while employing a day nanny who worked weekdays. When living in the UK, Harry and Meghan preferred not to have their home filled with staff, opting instead for a nanny who did not live at Frogmore Cottage.
“Meghan feels much more comfortable with the children under her mother’s watchful eye and Harry was very keen to keep it [childcare] in the family,” the source said. “Both Harry and Meghan are extremely protective of their children and only stop worrying about them if Doria is in charge whenever they are away.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that Doria Ragland has been a pillar of support for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, having moved into their Montecito estate’s guesthouse. At 67, the yoga instructor and mother of Meghan took up residence within the Sussexes’ Californian property to lend a hand and avoid the long drive from her LA home in View Park-Windsor Hills.
“Doria spends nearly all of her time with Harry and Meghan. It’s basically a family of five,” a source disclosed. “She is amazingly close to the children and helps Meghan daily. She also steps in as a nanny whenever they travel abroad without the children.”
Meghan values family involvement in child-rearing, with the insider noting: “Meghan thought it very important that the children be brought up by family rather than an outsider so they feel safe and secure at all times.”
This approach contrasts with Prince William and Kate’s parenting style. The Prince and Princess of Wales have long depended on Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, a nanny from the esteemed Norland Agency, who joined them when Prince George was just eight months old. Maria continues to assist with the upbringing of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and plays a crucial role in supporting Kate, particularly now as she recuperates from cancer at home.
“The Wales family have taken a very different approach. But it must be noted that before Kate’s illness, the Wales family worked extremely hard. The children also live at home with their parents,” an insider said.