Meghan Markle Shares Rare Photo of Young Prince Archie in Tribute to Gloria Steinem
Meghan Markle broke her social media silence on Thursday with an Instagram tribute to Gloria Steinem, who has died at the age of 92. Steinem, the American feminist writer and activist, died peacefully, as confirmed by her organization Gloria's Foundation, according to Hello! magazine.
The tribute post included a framed photograph on display at the Sussex family home in Montecito, California. In it, a young Prince Archie — the son of Meghan and Prince Harry — is shown standing in grey trousers and a white T-shirt, a white star concealing his face. Archie was likely around two years old at the time the picture was taken, placing it before the birth of his younger sister, Princess Lilibet.
Markle quoted Steinem's phrase "we are linked, not ranked" in the post. The same words are engraved on a bracelet Steinem gave to Markle, which Markle still wears. The two women had been friends and had appeared together at virtual events during Markle's efforts to encourage voter participation in the 2020 US election.
The photograph of Archie is a rare glimpse of the Sussex children, whose parents have generally kept their images private. Markle has previously shared occasional pictures: a sunset photo of Archie on his sixth birthday in May 2025, and a set of images from a family summer holiday posted in July 2026 that showed Archie and Princess Lilibet wearing headsets while watching a small monitor together. A photo of Archie in striped pyjamas gazing at the sea drew criticism from some quarters in June 2026; Markle defended the decision to share images of her children on Instagram, as reported by Town & Country.
The Steinem tribute arrives amid reports that the Sussex family is preparing to leave the United States and return to the UK with Archie and Lilibet, six years after relocating to America. USA Today reported on 20 August 2026 that the family was moving back to Britain. E! News had reported the previous day that Harry and Markle were preparing to return with their two children. A separate Hello! report noted rumors that the family was settling in the Cotswolds to raise their children in the countryside. The reports have not been confirmed by the Sussex household.
Steinem, born in 1934 in Toledo, Ohio, rose to national prominence as a journalist and organizer in the American women's movement of the 1960s and 1970s. She co-founded Ms. magazine in 1972 and remained a public advocate for gender equality into her nineties.
For Markle, the friendship with Steinem was one she spoke about openly. The bracelet and its inscription — "we are linked, not ranked" — now serve as the throughline of a tribute that pairs a personal loss with a photograph few people had ever seen.
