How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have surrounded Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with their ‘chosen’ Californian family – after rejecting the royals

The common saying ‘friends are the family you choose’ has never rung so true than for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. 

The Sussexes, who stepped down as senior members of the British royal family in 2020, have strained relationships on both sides of the family, between Harry’s estrangement from his brother and father and Meghan not on speaking terms with her father Thomas.  

Instead, the couple have surrounded their young children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, with a ‘chosen’ Californian family to dote on them in their Montecito mansion. 

Thousands of miles away from their aunt and uncle, the Prince and Princess of Wales – and grandfather King Charles – Archie and Lili are now growing up with a series of ‘surrogate‘ relatives after their parents rejected the royals.

Archie and Lilibet also have no relationship with any of the women on Meghan’s side who could be called their aunts. Meghan has one half-sister, Samantha Markle, through her father Thomas Markle Snr’s side – but has cut off ties with both of them.

The Duchess’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jnr has been married twice, but Meghan has also had no relationship with him since well before she wed Prince Harry in 2018.

Their famous ‘aunties’ now include hairdresser Kadi Lee, who recently appeared on Meghan’s podcast, and tennis legend Serena Williams, while their ‘uncle’ is now the Duchess’s best friend and make-up artist, Daniel Martin. 

But it’s not only the couple’s young children who have forged a second family abroad – Prince Harry himself is said to have grown close both to a ‘second father’ in the form of David Foster and ‘second mother’ after his move to the US. 

Harry has also formed a close relationship with Doria Ragland – with a royal source revealing that the Duke of Sussex has grown incredibly close to Doria, who has been a ‘tower of strength’ for the couple over the past few years.

‘Auntie’ Kadi Lee 

Meghan’s hairstylist Kadi Lee is the most recently mentioned member of the Sussexes’s ‘surrogate family’ – with the Duchess revealing that Archie and Lilibet call her ‘auntie’ in the latest episode of her podcast.  

Kadi runs the Highbrow Hippie salon in the bohemian LA neighbourhood of Venice, with her clients including Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and Sigourney Weaver.

She styled Meghan’s hair for the LA children’s hospital gala in October, the ESPN Espy Awards in July and the Invictus Games in February – but the two are now more than just hairdresser and customer. 

They are known to be good friends, having reportedly marked the Duchess’ 42nd birthday together with belated celebrations. 

In the third episode of her podcast Confessions Of A Female Founder, Meghan interviewed her friend and described the hair stylist as an ‘auntie’ to her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. 

Meanwhile Lee called herself ‘Super Aunt’, adding that she had no children. 

In the podcast, Meghan asked Lee: ‘Let’s imagine and assume when you sell, because you will, and it’ll be a great day of celebration, what would you do in your next chapter?’

Lee replied: ‘Oh gosh, I want to kind of go back to my English major roots. I want to get some writing done, I’d like to live in another country – perhaps my native land of Jamaica, maybe I’ll try a stint in Europe.

‘I’m just a really naturally curious person. I was not blessed with kids, I’m still holding out hope I might be a step-mama one day, but for right now I’m just Super Aunt!’

Meghan said: ‘I mean our kids love Auntie Kadi, it’s just our favourite when they run out, your car, it’s like “Kadi!”.’

Lee added: ‘I know, I feel like I look for them first!’

Also in the new podcast episode, Meghan branded American Riviera Orchard, the former name of her lifestyle business, a ‘word salad’, adding: ‘I didn’t love that so much.’

The duchess said the pair met in 2020 – the year of Megxit when Meghan and the Duke of Sussex quit the working monarchy for a new life in the US – and told of her attempts to dye her own hair at home during the pandemic.

Meghan said: ‘It was 2020 – it was very much 2020.’

She added: ‘My family had just moved to California. We were staying in our friend’s home and, because it was the pandemic, I kept ordering boxed hair dye, and I thought I’m gonna look just like she does on the box.

‘And instead it was this very inky, almost Elvira-esque black hair.’

Lee, who was called in at the time to help Meghan with her hair, said: ‘I remember meeting you guys, and you were so warm and both you and H wrapped us up in these big bear hugs and I was like ‘I don’t even know these people and I’m not a hugger but let’s do it’.’

Reflecting on having to close her hair salon during the pandemic, Lee added: ‘It felt like such whiplash and it felt like, gosh we cannot get a break, you know?’

Meghan laughed and added: ‘Oh, I understand.’

The Duchess promoted the Highbrow Hippie brand during the podcast, saying: ‘Look at you now – I mean, the name Highbrow Hippie is no longer just a blog and a hair salon, it’s a product line too.

‘You have a hair supplement and hair serum that you just launched late last year, and it’s already been named best hair serum by Oprah Daily.’

Meghan was pictured at the launch party for the firm’s new hair wellness range in California in November 2024 amid reports she was financially backing Lee’s venture.

In November last year, Meghan attended the glitzy launch party for Kadi’s new wellness range at the celeb-loved restaurant Gjelina in Venice, California. 

Speaking about her investment, Meghan, who is also an investor in trendy oat latte brand Clevr Blends and handbag label Cesta Collective, said: ‘I am so proud to invest in [Kadi] as a friend and as a female founder.’

She told InStyle: ‘Kadi has a mastery of hair health, and her Highbrow Hippie collection is a perfect reflection of that.’

Meghan and the celeb colourist are believed to have met through celeb hairstylist Serge Normant, who famously styled the former actress’ hair for her wedding ceremony in 2018.

Kadi and her friend Myka Harris founded their salon in 2019 following the success of their shared blog.  

In May 2023, the salon revealed that Meghan had booked in for a hair colouring session with Kadi ahead of the Women of Vision awards in New York.

Delving into the Duchess’ treatment, Kadi – who charges $550 for full Balayage – hinted that Meghan goes to the salon for regular gloss treatments to maintain her hair’s health.

‘Auntie’ Serena Williams 

It’s not the first time Meghan has applied the ‘auntie’ label to one of her friends. 

Serena Williams is so close with the Sussexes that she has also become known as ‘Auntie Serena’ by their children. 

In March, Meghan Markle started the countdown to her Netflix show premiere by playing a personalised board game with Lilibet. 

The Duchess of Sussex was joined by ‘Auntie’ Serena Williams for a game of Candy Land with the three-year-old princess.  

Meghan, 43, posted a clip on her Instagram of the trio to the backdrop of Bill Withers’ Lovely Day as she wrote: ‘When the aunties come to celebrate… and to play! Love you @serenawilliams.’

Lilibet can be seen wearing a baby pink matching pair of leggings and top in the short clip on the social media platform. 

Tennis star Serena sits next to her in a raspberry pink outfit smiling and clapping at the princess in a sweet moment captured on video. 

In another photo Meghan, dressed in a navy blue pyjama set with white pin stripes, leans over Lilibet with a Candy Land pink box – emblazoned with her and her sibling Archie’s names on the front – carefully positioned on a table in front. 

Serena was one of the lucky few to receive a treat-filled package from Meghan’s brand, As Ever. 

The tennis legend, 43, took to her Instagram Story earlier this month to share the ‘best surprise of the day’ as she unveiled a hamper from the Duchess of Sussex‘s lifestyle brand, As Ever.

The ornately curated box – which has also been sent to A-listers including Mindy Kaling, Zoe Saldaña and Kris Jenner – featured a selection of products, including her signature Montecito ‘jam’.

‘I’m so excited for this,’ the athlete, who has 23 Grand Slam titles, could be heard saying. ‘Jam… oh my gosh, crepes!’

Serena was also delighted to see the mix of herbal teas included in the package. 

‘You know I love my tea,’ she added cheekily. ‘The one you drink and the one I serve.’

She concluded with thanking Meghan, 43 – who she has been friends with since the Suits days – on her social media.

Meghan even enjoyed a rare lunch out with Williams in March – days ahead of the launch of her Netflix series. 

The pair were spotted at the restaurant Tre Luna in Montecito, with the Duchess and 23-time Grand Slam winner both appearing in good spirits. 

Meghan and Serena first met at a Super Bowl party in 2010 and became firm friends after reuniting at an event in 2014.

The duchess invited the sportswoman to her wedding to Prince Harry and her star-studded baby shower when pregnant with son Archie in New York in February 2022.

Meghan wrote on her former website The Tig: ‘We hit it off immediately, taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girlie stuff. So began our friendship.’ 

Serena has also been vocal in her praise for Meghan, including comments following the Duke and Duchess’s bombshell CNN interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

The tennis player said afterwards: ‘Meghan is a great person and I think the epitome of strength, the epitome of confidence, the epitome of just selflessness, and the epitome of everything is just her and everything that she’s gone through.

‘You can see from the interview that it wasn’t easy. But she had so much poise and she still had so much class..

‘I just think that she is the strongest person I know. I don’t know anyone else that could handle anything on such a global scale the way that she’s had to handle things that are just untrue – minute after minute.

‘Not even day after day. Just minute after minute, another untrue allegation being thrown at her.

‘I think it was important for me to say something because I’m tired of sitting back and seeing all this negativity that’s just not true.’

‘Second father’ David Foster 

Film composer David Foster seems to have taken the duke under his wing in recent years, helping the Sussexes to find a home in Canada before they moved to California.

He has looked out for Harry since his move to Montecito and, being just one year younger than King Charles, has been referred to as Harry’s ‘second father’.  

In 2020, his wife Katharine McPhee told Access Hollywood: ‘My husband has a really, really beautiful relationship with Harry. They’re like father and son.’

She explained how David, 75, helped set the Sussexes up with their Canadian $14.1 million mansion hideaway before they moved to LA.

‘David is the resource guy,’ Katharine said. ‘He knows all the places. He loves to help people. We just hope they end up somewhere where they feel like they can really settle down,’ she said at the time.

David said that he hooked the couple up with the sprawling property, which was located on the waterfront in North Saanich, near Vancouver.

He said his wife Katharine discovered that the Duke and Duchess were in need of a discreet spot for their first Christmas holiday with a then-seven-month-old Archie and Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, and he was happy to oblige.

‘I felt honoured that I was able to help Meghan there because I’m a Canadian and we’re a commonwealth country. It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment,’ David said to DailyMail.com.

‘I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off,’ he added.

‘I know that it was reinvigorating for them to spend some downtime. This is a great testament to my hometown of Victoria that they were able to go under the radar for so long.

‘I was just happy through my friend to facilitate what I could for them, and it looked like they had a great rest. They’re a young modern family. I’m sure they want to balance their commitment to the crown and be a 2020 family.’

In October 2020, it was reported that Harry and Meghan were even planning to spend Christmas with David in the US. 

The couple were apparently hosting their own Christmas soirée in Los Angeles and planned on inviting his ‘surrogate’ dad, The Mirror reported.

‘Meghan very much wants to host the first Christmas at their new home with her mum,’ a source close to the couple claimed.

‘She’s really excited and is planning on doing all the traditions she grew up with as a child, including the cooking.’

According to the source, David and Katherine offered to host the festivities at their home, however, Meghan volunteered that she and Harry host at theirs.

The music mogul, who is just a year younger than the King, reportedly planned a birthday party for the Prince that same year, a source told The Mirror.

‘David wants to make it special for Harry but also keep it casual and low-key with some fine wine, great food and intimate company,’ the source claimed.

‘He is setting aside the fire pit at his home plus the whole outdoor area, which security will cordon off.’

Katharine is also friendly with Meghan as the pair knew each other as children when they attended the same Catholic school. 

The Duchess of Sussex was already at high school by the time Katharine was at the Los Angeles middle school.

‘She went to a school called Immaculate Heart, as did I. She went there for middle school and high school, and I went there just for middle school,’ Katharine explained.

‘I did a couple of shows with her and she was always put together and great,’ Katharine recalled. ‘I was never really close friends with her.’

In 2019 she wrote on Instagram: ‘Meghan and I did musicals together as kids. She grew up to be the Duchess of Sussex and I grew up to star on the West End, so same life if you ask me.’

In June 2022, Harry was joined by David and Katharine while playing polo in California – following a flying visit to the UK for Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee. 

He was pictured hanging out on the sidelines with American idol runner up Katharine, her composer husband David and their son, Rennie. 

‘Uncle’ Daniel Martin  

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have a Californian ‘uncle’ figure in their lives – Meghan’s make-up artist pal, Daniel Martin. 

In the first episode of her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, she welcomed longtime friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin, while revealing the special bond that her two children have with him.

‘He has just been in my life for the before, during, and after, shall we say, and he’s very much a mainstay,’ Markle said in the episode about her friend.

‘”Uncle Daniel”, the kids call him,’ she added. ‘They know Daniel very well, and I love him to pieces.’

Of course, Markle’s children also have an uncle in Prince William, who is Prince Harry‘s brother.

However, over the past few years, things have appeared to be strained between the two siblings, especially after Prince Harry’s bombshell 2023 memoir, Spare.

During the episode, Daniel and Markle made multiple dishes together – including a one-pot pasta and a honey cake topped with buttercream and raspberries.

They also worked together to make beeswax candles straight from the bees that she keeps in her yard.

Daniel had posted a countdown to his Instagram account, prior to the series airing. 

He captioned his post: ‘ONE MORE DAY!!! I Couldn’t be more proud of you sis.

‘To all our Tig friends from years past, welcome to “Tig TV” 2025!!’ he continued, referring to the Duchess of Sussex’s now-defunct lifestyle blog.

He also shouted out Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever after she announced it had been rebranded from ‘American Riviera Orchard’ following a slew of trademark-related troubles.

Daniel had also celebrated seeing his bestie Meghan on a giant billboard in New York City’s Times Square, again to promote the Netflix show. 

When Meghan relaunched her Instagram account in January, Daniel declared ‘my sis is back’ and urged his followers to ‘watch this space’. 

Daniel has collaborated with the mother-of-two since her days on Suits and did her make-up for her wedding day to Prince Harry in 2018. 

He recently shared a breakdown of the products he had used, with Meghan sharing on her Instagram, writing: ‘Love you @danielmartin! Let’s keep it glowing, my sweet.’ 

Daniel clearly has Meghan’s back, recently taking to Instagram to slam one critic of the Duchess of Sussex, accusing her of having a ‘dark a** soul’. 

Mr Martin had reacted angrily to a post by a woman who shared a picture of her having a different brand of jam on her toast and saying she didn’t care about As Ever. 

He said that supporters of Meghan were ‘drowning out’ trolls with ‘our light’. She then hit back and called him an ‘ar*e kisser’.

YouTuber According2Taz said: ‘Literally couldn’t give a single s**t about the launch of a raspberry spread or the daily silly posts on Instagram. 

‘I think I’m honestly worn out & bored by Meghan & I’m not promoting her. Instead, i’m going to have some almond butter and jam on toast from my favourite brands’.

Daniel hit back in response: ‘That troll’s livelyhood has been based on hate and she won’t stop because she needs the money. She’s worn out because karma’s a b***h and our light is drowning out her dark a** soul’.

Lili’s godfather Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry is godfather to Princess Lilibet – and was a crucial figure in helping Harry and Meghan settle down in the US, after stepping down from the British royal family in 2020. 

In December, Meghan supported her friend at The Paley Honors gala in Beverly Hills – and the two are clearly very close. 

The Duchess of Sussex was seen hugging and holding hands with the billionaire filmmaker, 55 – demonstrating the typical pally affection she displays towards her most loyal allies. 

Meghan and her husband Prince Harry, 40 – who recently said the pair have no plans to return to the United Kingdom – were part of the Tribute Host Committee Chairs for the event, though he was not present on the red carpet.

The event marked Meghan and Tyler’s first red carpet appearance together – but despite only being seen in each other’s company a handful of times over the years, they have shown their unwavering support for one another on numerous occasions. 

In many ways, the Madea actor was the key figure facilitating Meghan and Harry’s move to the US – offering his private jet for their so-called ‘freedom flight’ to relocate the couple from the home in Vancouver, where they had been staying. 

Famously, it was Perry who offered up his $18million home in Santa Barbara for the couple to live in in the early days after quitting the royal family in 2020. 

According to The Cut, Tyler offering his home to the pair ‘became, in many ways, the reason that Meghan and Harry started their new life in Southern California.’ 

He was also a key figure in Meghan and Harry’s bombshell Netflix documentary, and is so close to the couple that he is godfather to their daughter Princess Lilibet, three. 

The first public signs of their blossoming friendship came in early 2020 when Perry expressed sympathy for Meghan, referencing comments that she made to ITV news presenter Tom Bradby for a documentary shot in Africa.

Perry said: ‘Remember when Meghan Markle did that interview? She said “Thanks for asking if I’m okay. Because no one ever asks me that”.

‘I felt her when she said that. People toss it out. “How are you doing?”. But not many people really mean it. Or pay attention to the answer.’

After Harry and Meghan announced that they were saying goodbye to their royal duties and relocating to California, the couple, along with their then-one-year-old son, Archie, spent a few months living in Tyler’s Beverly Hills mansion.

The sprawling 22-acre estate is set in the ultra-exclusive Beverly Ridge Estates guard-gated community, offering sweeping views of the city from the backyard.

It was from there that the duo celebrated Archie’s first birthday – and where he took his first steps – as they shared tiny glimpses of the home while appearing on video chats and in social media clips throughout their stay.

During an interview with The Cut in 2022, Meghan, spoke out about her bond with Tyler, explaining that he got in touch with her after she first wed Harry in 2018.

She added that he sent her a ‘note’ in which he said he ‘understood’ the intense pressure she was under, and encouraged her to reach out if she ever needed help.

She soon began to open up to him about her struggles and the two grew close, despite them never even meeting in person.

‘Sometimes, you can tell your life story to a stranger on a plane as opposed to some of the people that are closest to you,’ she told The Cut.

Meanwhile Perry previously shared about his friendship with the royal couple: ‘They hid out at my house for a long time. It was so great.’

The Hollywood titan revealed that the duo had previously shared the same publicist whom he used to deliver a message of support.

‘I sent them a note… and just said, “If you ever need anything, I’m here,” and she called months later and just talked to me like I was a therapist and we just had a great conversation.’

‘It is very important for people in this business to have a safe place to land, to have a place where they can trust and talk freely and get advice that’s not going to be biased or from somebody who wants something from them.’

Elaborating further, he said: ‘Every day. Every day that they were there, I looked to see if anything’s happening online. Nothing. They don’t even know, so weeks and weeks they were there.

‘They were so happy. It was such a beautiful moment.’ 

In November last year, Tyler claimed Meghan used him like a ‘therapist’ as he opened up about the extreme measures he took to shield her and Prince Harry in his home.

Tyler also featured in Meghan and Harry’s Netflix series – where their closest confidantes and allies gave testimonies about their lives during and after the royal family. 

He said he’d been inspired to get in touch with Meghan after seeing stories about her relationship with her father Thomas Markle in the press. 

He said: ‘I’m not a royal watcher, I don’t really pay attention to a lot of stuff,’ he said. ‘But I saw something about her father [posing for the paparazzi]. I found it to be hurtful if he were my father.

‘And I couldn’t even imagine this woman finding the man that she loved, the man of her dreams, and him being a Prince, and then to walk into all of that madness and need the security of family and then have your father do some horrible things.’

Perry is godfather to Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, three. 

Tyler reportedly attended her birthday party in June as she turned three, according to People Magazine. 

However, in December 2022, Tyler revealed he’d refused to travel to the UK for Lilibet’s christening, despite being her godfather. 

Perry suggested that he didn’t want to take part in the pomp and circumstance of a traditional royal ceremony, telling the couple’s bombshell Netflix docuseries that he didn’t want to ‘do all of that in the church with them and figure all of that out.’

The director added that he would rather have done a private ceremony in California.

Speaking of the moment that Harry and Meghan asked him to serve in the role of godfather, Perry recalled: ‘They were pretty serious on the phone and I am like, “OK what’s going on”, and they said, “Well we would like for you to be Lili’s Godfather”.

‘I had to take a minute to take that in and I thought I’d be honored, absolutely be honored.’

After thinking about what his role as godfather might mean, Perry says he made clear to the couple that he didn’t want to travel to the UK in order to take part in a traditional christening ceremony with the royals.

‘I got off the phone and took it all in and then I called them back and said, “Hold on a second, does that mean we have to go over there and do all of that in the church with them and figure all of that out? Because I don’t want to do that”.

‘Maybe we can do a private ceremony here and let that be that and if you have to do it there then that’s ok.’

‘Brother’ Nacho Figueras

Their friendship dates back to 2007 – so perhaps it’s no surprise that Nacho Figueras has become a supportive figure in Prince Harry’s new life, away from the Royal Family.

Nacho even dubbed the Duke of Sussex his ‘brother’ in a gushing tribute post on Instagram to mark his 40th birthday, writing: ‘Happy 40th brother. From the polo fields to all the moments in between, I’m grateful for the bond we share. Here’s to many more laughs, memories, and good times ahead. Love you.’

They have played polo alongside one another in various matches over the years, and Nacho, 48, has become one of Harry and Meghan Markle‘s most vocal supporters, praising them in magazine interviews and during TV appearances.

The father-of-four – dubbed the ‘David Beckham of Polo’ – was also among a handful of the Duke and Duchess’s closest confidantes who appeared in the couple’s Netflix documentary.

He also featured in, and fronted the trailer for, Harry and Meghan’s glamorous Netflix series, POLO, released at the end of last year.  

In September 2019, Nacho – who witnessed the early days of the couple’s romance and was later a guest at their wedding – appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ show to announce that he would ‘defend his friends’ with his life. 

The millionaire appears totally at ease with mentioning his friendship with the royal in interviews, for in that same year, he told Town and Country magazine: ‘What I like the most about [Harry] is how real he is and how serious he is about improving life for kids that have not had the blessings that we’ve had.’ 

He also described Meghan as ‘incredible’ and praised the former actress for ‘giving up everything for the man she loves’ in the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary.

During the Harry & Meghan docuseries, Nacho also revealed how the prince confided in him after sharing a first date with Meghan.

He described how him and his wife, Delfina Blaquier, went for dinner with Harry shortly after the prince met his future wife in 2017.

Nacho said: ‘He looked at us and said: “Guys, I met a girl. We’ve just met but I think this might be the one”. You could tell right away that those eyes were those of someone who’d fallen in love.’

Elsewhere, the polo player isn’t afraid to showcase his friendship with the prince on his social media page. In 2022, he shared a post praising the Duke on Instagram, writing: ‘What a joy to see you smile and be so happy. I love being your teammate.’

He also took to his account in May 2019 to prove his loyalty to his friend, stating: ‘The world thinks they know everything about this man. I have been fortunate enough to spend enough time over the years to learn and understand the man he really is.’

The polo player went on to describe the prince as being kind, generous, compassionate and ‘constantly thinking about how to make the world a better place.’ 

Nacho was among the first to meet Meghan and Harry’s son Archie in 2019 in Windsor – and it seems the special occasion made its mark on the polo player, who launched a scent named after the British town.

In December 2019, Nacho launched a perfume named after Harry’s hometown while hinting at ‘a brotherhood of kindred spirits’ with the Duke.

He released a range of six different perfumes inspired by his travels around the world, including one called ‘Windsor’, which he said he hoped would ‘bring feelings of every kind of paradise.’ 

Posting on Instagram about the launch, the Argentinian wrote: ‘The locations that inspired this collection evoke sentimental memories of time spent there with my wife Delfina and our children.’

A portion of the sales proceeds from the fragrances were donated to Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale – from which he has now stepped down. 

Meanwhile, Nacho appears to be a main character in Harry’s new life in the US – with the pair enjoying polo matches together at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club as teammates.

While they may appear to come from different worlds, it is their shared love of polo which has pulled them into a close friendship. 

Described by Tatler as ‘the David Beckham of Polo’ Nacho now holds a 6-goal handicap and an estimated net worth of $30million and has been modelling for Ralph Lauren since 2000. 

But modelling was never the goal for the athlete, who began his career just to earn some extra cash and bring more attention to his beloved sport. 

He and Harry have been playing alongside each other in charity matches for the past decade, ultimately resulting in them becoming like ‘brothers’.

Prior to stepping down, Harry and Nacho regularly played in Sentebale’s charity matches to raise funds for Sentebale, an organisation co-founded by Prince Harry that supports children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.

Charity is another common interest for Nacho and the Duke, with the polo player actively praising the royal over the years for his work.

Nacho has been to Lesotho with Harry at least three times, most recently opening the Mamohato Centre together in 2015.

He said the charity, of which he is an ambassador, remained ‘incredibly close to our hearts’. He also revealed that Harry was ‘the first one to wake up’ during their trips to Lesotho, and was always up to date with the goings-on.

Nacho said that the Duke would often point out things which should be fixed, as well as asking for updates on equipment. 

Fatherhood is another topic which he is believed to have bonded with the Duke of Sussex over.

Shortly after Harry’s son Archie was born, Nacho praised the royal as an ‘amazing’ parent and said he is ‘very, very happy’ about fatherhood. The polo player was among the first to meet Archie, having visited Windsor shortly after his birth.

He said: ‘He seems to be really, really happy so I’m very happy and excited for him. I’ve been saying this for a long time, he’s a person that loves children.

‘I’ve seen him interact with children for a very long time in all these things that we do in Africa so I’m not surprised he’s an amazing father.’ 

‘Fairy godmother’ Oprah 

Prince Harry dubbed Oprah Winfrey one of his ‘fairy godmothers’ at a book store opening earlier last September. 

The Sussexes enjoyed an evening with ‘friends and family’ of literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and cosmetics star Victoria Jackson on September 6, Town and Country Magazine revealed – where they embraced old friend Oprah.

Photos from the event show a grinning and glamorous Duchess hugging the talkshow host that interviewed them for their bombshell 2021 broadcast.

Victoria, who has been close to the royal couple since their arrival in California four years ago, said that ‘seeing them be able to come here and be in a safe space… it’s what we want it to be.’

She added: ‘Their support, and the light that it will shine on Godmothers, is pretty extraordinary.’

The outlet also revealed that Prince Harry played a part in curating the bookshop’s name as he had at his own book party in Beverley Hills, and thanked Oprah, Victoria and Jennifer for being his ‘fairy godmothers’. 

Harry and Meghan’s friendship with the star appears to have been sparked when they extended their wedding invitation to Oprah to include the evening reception at Frogmore House, attended only by their closest relatives and pals.

The chat show host had been invited to the ceremony at St George’s Chapel, inside Windsor Castle, despite only having apparently met Meghan face-to-face once. It is not thought she had ever met Harry in person.

All 800 guests were invited to enjoy a ‘wedding breakfast’ in the Great Hall of Windsor Castle after the ceremony, but only 200 guests were invited to a sit-down dinner in the grounds of Frogmore House that evening.

It is thought that Meghan and Oprah were introduced through the American network CBS and met when Oprah found herself in London.

The presenter said she previously asked for an interview with Meghan, but her request was declined with the Duchess apparently telling her it was ‘not the right time’.

‘I remember that conversation,’ Meghan told Oprah in her and Harry’s bombshell interview later. ‘I wasn’t even allowed to have that conversation with you personally. There had to be people sitting there.’

Oprah, who is now understood to count the couple as neighbours in Montecito, had maintained warm relationships with the couple after attending their nuptials.

As reported by ABC, Oprah had even gifted little Archie, now five, a library of books when he was born.

It is a ‘standard gift’ that the talkshow host gives ‘people that she really cares about’, according to an interview with Access Hollywood.

‘I don’t know the baby’s name or the baby’s gender, but this baby will have enough books to last a lifetime!’ she added.

In September, Meghan spoke at Oprah‘s book club session in California, with the Duchess forming one of several ‘light-filled’ speakers who addressed the crowd at Goodmothers bookstore and gathering space in Summerland, located just miles from where she lives in Montecito.

Godmothers, co-owned by literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, just celebrated its grand opening weekend by hosting a slew of events and ‘conversations’ with celebrities and authors.

The bookstore appears to be promoting several popular celebrity books including Meghan’s children’s book The Bench and Prince Harry‘s memoir, which can be found front-and-centre in the shop, on its ‘hometown heroes’ shelf. 

Meghan appeared at the event, on the eve of the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

While it is unclear what the Duchess said in her address, the crowd appeared to be eating it up with Jackson branding Meghan as one of the evening’s ‘light-filled speakers’.

Godmothers is seemingly proud of Meghan and Harry, whom the owner has hailed as a ‘hometown hero’.

Walsh, in a video promoting the store, has put Harry’s memoir on display with a collection of books penned by local writers. 

Meghan’s book The Bench, a picture book for children published in 2021, is also on the shelf. 

‘This is our local authors shelf when you first walk in,’ she said of the display. ‘I want it to be when you first walk in so that authors who are local to the area know that this is their hometown bookstore.

‘And we celebrate our hometown authors as if they were our hometown heroes, because to us they are.’

BFF Kelly McKee Zajfen 

Kelly McKee Zajfen is one of Meghan’s closest friends in her new Montecito life, and has spent much time with Archie and Lili. 

Kelly is the co-founder of Alliance of Moms, which supports pregnant and parenting teens in the foster care system.

The former model, who once described the Duchess of Sussex as an ‘incredible friend and mother’, was notably given jar number three of Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard jam last year, showing their close relationship. 

In 2025, she has been more and more involved in the Sussexes home life than ever. 

In March, Meghan shared a photo to her Instagram account in support of Kelly’s charity, @allianceofmoms. 

Kelly also last month made an appearance in Meghan’s Netflix cookery series, where she joined members of her inner circle for an extravagant brunch, prepared by the Duchess and chef Alice Waters. 

Meghan enlisted Kelly’s help – as well as that of Archie and Lilibet – as she baked cookies for guests attending the Drew Barrymore show. 

Meghan explained that she invited some of her friends over to come and help, including designer Clare Waight Keller who had made her wedding dress.

In the clip, a little girl, believed to be Lilibet, three, was seen standing on a step stool next to the counter.  

Their friendship goes back many years, even before Meghan first became a member of the Royal Family.  

They first became close through the Duchess’ ex-husband Trevor Engelson, who is pals with the former model’s entertainment lawyer husband Julian. 

Julian and Kelly are based in California, where the mother dedicates much of her time to her Alliance of Moms and Alliance for Children’s rights campaigns.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights is a non-profit providing free legal services and support for caregivers, adoptive parents and children in the care system in LA. The Alliance of Moms, which she co-founded, focuses on young people in foster care who are parents themselves.

Its work includes providing mental and physical healthcare, stable housing and therapy for these youths.

Much of the 44-year-old’s charity work is driven by her late son George, who suddenly passed away in 2022.

Since his death, Kelly has launched campaigns in his memory, such as the #sunsetsforGeorgie trend on Instagram where people took the time to watch sunsets, something her son loved to do.   

Meghan has supported Kelly through the grief of losing her son and she and Harry donated $5,000 to a GoFundMe fundraiser in the names of their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. 

Kelly – who is also mother to George’s twin sister Lily – herself has been open about her grief on Instagram, writing in October of last year that she was ‘not really okay’, while telling her followers: ‘The light everyday is dim. I try my best. We are all trying our best. I’m so broken.

‘I’m searching everyday to find some new way to mold the pieces back together and I’m completely aware that it may not all fit again.’

Last year, she posted a heartfelt tribute to Meghan on her account, praising the Duchess of Sussex for her support and for being such an ‘incredible friend and mother’.

‘You are always the first to say yes and support those you love. You are a fierce advocate for those who are in need,’ Kelly continued, while sharing an image of herself and the Duchess of Sussex both wearing ‘Community Motherhood’ T-shirts in support of an Alliance of Moms campaign. 

Kelly was one of those honoured with a preview of Meghan’s new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, sharing a video of her enjoying the jam on a slice of toast. 

She previously shared a photograph of the product on social media, saying she was ‘so proud’ of her friend for the upcoming launch.

The jam was presented in a bowl of lemon’s surrounded by flowers, and Kelly wrote: ‘Ohhhhh Just a taste of what’s to come!!! So proud of you M.’

The Duchess of Sussex sent friends the limited-edition jar ahead of the formal launch of her brand later this spring with a range of items.

In March last year, Meghan enjoyed a trip with her ‘skiing posse’, including Kelly and another close friend Heather Dorak.

The Duchess was pictured smiling with pilates business owner Dorak and Zajfen on the slopes of Powder Mountain near Salt Lake City in Utah, in an Instagram post shared by the founder of Pilates Platinum.