Archie steals show with first words in public on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new podcast

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released their new podcast - with 19-month-old Archie stealing the show with his voice being heard for the first time in public.

The couple were joined by Sir Elton John, James Corden and a host of famous friends in a Christmas special of their holiday broadcast.

But it was the royal toddler who stole the limelight as he wished listeners a “Happy New Year” during the final seconds of the podcast.

The royal couple can be heard laughing with their son, as Harry tells him “you can speak into it”.

Talking with what appears to be a slight American accent, the royal toddler repeats “Happy” and then copies Meghan after she says “New”.

Archie can then be heard completing the phrase without any further prompting saying “Year” as the trio descend into giggles.

‘We’re glad you’re here’

Opening the show, Harry told listeners: “We’re glad you’re here. As we all know, it’s been a year. And we really want to honour the compassion and kindness that has helped so many people get through it.”

While Meghan added: “And at the same time, to honour those who have experienced uncertainty and unthinkable loss. Our thoughts have been with you, especially during this holiday season.”

The duke continued: “And in too many instances people weren’t able to be at a loved one’s side or say goodbye as they would have wished.”

And his wife said: “We also want to thank healthcare workers, frontline service workers, and so many others for their sacrifices.”

Meghan, 39, said they asked “a few friends” as well as athletes, artists, and activists to send audio diaries about the last year.

The duke joked that “you’re on mute” was a “defining phrase” of 2020, and meant they had decided to ask people to record their own messages instead of set up a series of video calls which are sometimes “awkward”.

Harry, 36, encouraged people to grab a “cozy beverage” and said he hoped it brought warmth to listeners.

Alongside Corden and Sir Elton, the couple invited writer Matt Haig and athlete Naomi Osaka, as well as Brene Brown to the podcast.

Meghan previously revealed her love of Haig’s work when she edited British Vogue in 2019, as she chose one of his poems for the edition.

And both Harry and Meghan said they adored Brown as they spoke to representatives from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust in one of their early post-royal engagements.

They also gave a few moments to one of their new partners, Chef José Andrés, who they will be working with to establish community centres in four places disproportionately affected by “food system challenges”.

And they were joined by Tyler Perry, the Hollywood producer whose home they stayed in when they first arrived in Los Angeles.

Sir Elton opened up about how Zoom had been a lifesaver, because he was able to continue with his AA meetings, as he is a recovering alcoholic.

The royal couple ended the podcast by playing This Little Light of Mine, which was played at their wedding.

Meghan said: “From us I’ll say no matter what life throws at you guys, trust us when we say, love wins.”

She added: “This Little Light of Mine played at the very end of our wedding… while we were walking down the steps of the church.”

Quoting Martin Luther King Jr, she added: “It was the music that we wanted playing when we started our lives together. Because as we all know, ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that…’”

Harry said: “The message of this song is one we hold so dearly. It’s about using the power we each have within us to make this world a better place.”

Fans praised the couple on Twitter after the podcast was released, calling it “pure joy”.

Harry and Meghan confirmed they had signed a deal with Spotify for exclusive podcasts earlier this month, thought to be worth several million dollars.

However the deal came under fire from some, who criticised Spotify for big contracts with the royals when many artists are reported to make a small sum from their music through the platform.

Watch: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Release Spotify Podcast Featuring Elton John, Tyler Perry and More

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Singer Sandie Shaw said: “Lucky Meghan and Harry were able to negotiate a podcast deal for themselves with Spotify.

“I wish recording artists were in the same independent position to negotiate streaming deals directly for themselves too.”

A YouGov poll of Britons revealed only a small amount of interest in listening to the couple’s podcast.

YouGov polled more than 5,700 adults, with only 2% saying they were very interested, and 5% saying they were fairly interested in the podcasts.

But 77% of people said they were not interested at all.

It followed a similarly poor showing for the couple’s Netflix series, after they confirmed a deal with the streaming giant for documentaries, scripted series and children’s programming.

However the couple is likely to pull a wider audience from the US and potentially globally.

Read more: Here's the royal Britain was most interested in this year

With the announcement of the podcast came a somewhat flirty trailer for the series as Meghan delighted in Harry’s accent as he said the name of their production company Archewell.

The trailer started with them discussing how to open the advert, before explaining that they wanted to hear people’s stories.

At the end, Meghan exclaims that Harry “has a podcast voice”.

Explaining their decision to start a podcast, Harry and Meghan said in a statement: “What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction.”

The podcast is available exclusively on Spotify.

Watch: Prince Harry, Meghan to produce Spotify podcasts