Baby Archie Steals the Show — and Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Heart — in His Debut Appearance During Royal Tour

All those who were waiting for a photo of baby Archie from his debut tour with his parents, the wait is over. The Sussexes, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle, are on a royal tour around southern Africa and the new parents have taken along their baby, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who was seen for the first time on the tour on September 25. He accompanied his parents who went to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka, according to The Telegraph.

In the photo, the 38-year-old mother holds her baby and she and her husband, Harry, meet the legendary activist. In a post on their official Instagram channel, the couple called him one of the "world's great champions of equality."

In a video shared by the couple, they can be seen walking down a ramp with Meghan Markle holding Archie, on their third day of the 10-day tour. "Harry and Meghan excitedly brought little Archie with them to the @TutuLegacy Foundation at one of Cape Town’s oldest building, The Old Granary. They were greeted by @TheDesmondTutu and daughter Thandeka," tweeted royal correspondent Omid Scobie.

"Arch meets Archie! This morning The Duke and Duchess were honoured to introduce their son Archie, to Archbishop, Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka. The Archbishop, a globally respected figure in anti-apartheid movement, is one of the world’s great champions of equality, and has spent his life tirelessly battling injustice. Their Royal Highnesses have joined The Archbishop and Thandeka to learn more about the work of The Tutu and Leah Legacy Foundation, and see first-hand how they are focussing on global awareness of the critical issues affecting the world," their official Instagram post said.

In another post, they said, "Thank you Archbishop Tutu for your incredibly warm hospitality, Archie loved meeting you! - The Duke and Duchess." The second post is a black and white close up of the Archbishop kissing little Archie.

The historic moment captured shows a frail Tutu walking with a stick as he meets the child for the first time. Tutu's daughter Thandeka can be heard calling Archie "special" in a video captured by CNN. The father and daughter were seen fawning over the four-month-old, who was dressed just like Prince Harry as a baby. The cleric congratulates Prince Harry on becoming a father in this heartfelt video. The joy on their faces is palpable like they are meeting old friends after years. However, the baby stole their hearts and the show at that moment. This might be one of the best moments from Archie's first royal tour. This was the first time Archie was seen in public on the couple's 10-day tour of Africa, according to BBC.

Archie looked a lot like his father did when he was a little boy. When Prince Harry was young, he too was dressed in dungarees often and baby Archie was dressed similarly in a blue dungaree for his first official visit.

The four-month-old looks like a spitting image of his father when he was a baby, it was pointed out by British Glamour magazine.

After today's meeting, Prince Harry is expected to "board the royal charter to Botswana for the start of his solo work" while "Meghan will continue solo and attend a women founders/social entrepreneurs event," Scobie said.

References: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/09/25/archie-meets-archbishop-desmond-tutu-prince-harry-meghan-markle/

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-49826765/baby-archie-meets-archbishop-desmond-tutu-on-royal-tour