Prince Archie Got a Special Surprise for His Fourth Birthday

By Erin Vanderhoof

While Prince Harry was attending the coronation of King Charles III last month, Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, stayed behind at their home in Montecito. They reportedly planned a "low-key" celebration for Archie's fourth birthday on May 6, and thanks to one nearby business owner, we now know the details of a memorable present from the weekend.

According to People, the owners of Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop, a bike shop in town, hand-delivered a bike as a surprise gift for the young prince. Owner Jennifer Blevins told the magazine that her partner Martin is from England and decided it would be a nice gesture to celebrate the day, which just so happened to also be the day of the coronation.

"He went and he got one of our little Specialized kids’ bikes—they're really nice little bikes—and he's like, ‘This one's perfect, it's got training wheels,’" she said. "And so he went and got some birthday balloons, and he got some flowers for Meghan and a birthday card, and he said, ‘Okay, I'm gonna bike over and take it to their house.’" She added that the couple's security guards ran a quick background check and then accepted the bike.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that the Blevins learned the fate of the gift. On Instagram, they posted a thank-you note they received from Harrison Colcord, an employee of the couple, on stationery reading "The Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex."

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"On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, please accept their sincere thanks for the thoughtful gift you sent to Prince Archie for his fourth birthday," the note read. "The bike has brought much joy, and is most appreciated by the family. They asked that I convey their gratitude at the lovely surprise."

Meghan and Harry have lived in Montecito, a low-key Santa Barbara community where they have counted Oprah, Ariana Grande, Ellen Degeneres, and Rob Lowe among their neighbors, since July 2020. It's about 80 miles away from Los Angeles and reportedly has a reputation for respecting its famous residents’ privacy.

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