Meghan Markle, Prince Harry drop holiday podcast with cameo from Archie

The episode marks the first in the royal couple's exclusive partnership with Spotify

Dec 29, 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have certainly had a monumental year. Now, almost 12 months after the couple’s highly-profiled “step back” from their royal duties, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have dropped their first Holiday podcast episode featuring a cameo from their son, Archie.

Meghan and Harry recently announced their new production company, Archewell Audio, along with an exclusive partnership with Spotify. In the announcement, the couple explained that they “will host and produce podcasts that build community through shared experience, narratives, and values.” Now, a little over two weeks after their official announcement, the royal couple have dropped their first episode, entitled 2020 Archewell Audio Holiday Special.

Prince Harry Meghan Markle thegrio.com — (Credit: Getty Images)

The episode features appearances from many familiar voices, including Tyler Perry, Elton John, Stacey Abrams, Brené Brown, Naomi Osaka and more. Perry, sharing how he made it through this challenging year, explains in the episode, “I handled it one day at a time with a lot of prayer.”

He continues, “The lowest moment came right before Thanksgiving, we were feeding 5,000 families here at the studio…I realized 5,000 was not enough, the need was so great. There were thousands of more cars than gifts and groceries that we had…it was heartbreaking on so many levels.”

He ends on a message of hope though, citing that 2020 “opened our eyes to what was going on all around us.”

Abrams, recording from Atlanta, Georgia, dives into how she was able to cope and make it through. She reveals, “I gave myself permission to watch all the television I wanted, to read when I should have been working and to make mistakes, but most of all I gave myself permission to be sad so that I could find joy on the other side.”

Of course, the Duke and Duchess save the best cameo for last, featuring their son Archie. After playing the popular song, This Little Light of Mine, the podcast features an adorable back and forth between Archie and his parents.

Harry directs baby Archie to the microphone, saying, “You can speak into it.” Harry then tells his son, “After me. Ready? Happy…” which Archie repeats, followed by Meghan saying “New” to which Archie then completes the phrase, exclaiming “New Year!”

This episode dropped today, amid reports that the royal couple are hoping to seek an extension of their exit deal that is set to expire in March of 2021.

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