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The Queen’s reputation as a somewhat distant parent is well known, having famously left her children Charles and Anne in the care of nannies for six months in 1953 to conduct a royal tour when they were both under the age of four years old.
But does she really dislike babies?
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That was the vital question bouncing around the royal gossip nexus Wednesday, after NBC’s International correspondent Keir Simmons claimed on the Today show that the Queen “isn’t big into babies,” so wouldn’t care that Harry and Meghan were not bringing Archie to the U.K. for their final visit to the country as senior working royals.
British newspapers claimed this week that the Queen was “upset” about Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave Archie at home, but Simmons rebuffed that claim in a lively two-way down the line to hosts including Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie in the studio from his position outside Buckingham Palace.
“Some of the British press are trying to paint Meghan and Harry’s decision not to bring baby Archie here to the U.K. as disappointing for the Queen. I’ve got to tell you guys, I think that is very unlikely. Anyone who knows the biography of the Queen will know that she really that’s isn’t into babies. I can almost guarantee she is not complaining that she isn’t seeing Archie right now.”
Challenged by the shocked hosts, Simmons repeated the line, saying, “She’s not that into babies, I promise you.”
Buckingham Palace has been approached for comment but is not expected to issue any guidance on the thorny issue of whether the Queen does or does not like babies.
Simmons did not reply to an email query from The Daily Beast, but sources said the reporter was confident in his claim.
