Royal watchers who tune into to Meghan Markle's new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, in order to get a glimpse of Archie and Lilibet will sadly be disappointed. The two of them remain off-screen, so fans don't get a chance to see the Duchess' parenting skills in action.
There are glimpses, however, into their lives and personalities, as told by their mother. We know, for example, that Archie is a budding fisherman who caught two fish while on vacation. She mentions that Lilibet loves to get cooking in the kitchen, making preserves with the family. Phil and Jill, two chickens, were named by the little royals. And we also know what's in little Lili's toybox.
In the episode fifth episode, titled "Surprise and Delight," Markle invites friends Abigail Spencer and Kelly McKee Zajfen over for a lunch, which they eat in the backyard like a proper picnic. There, she dishes on one of Lili's playthings. "Lili got a doll, I couldn't remember who gave it to her," she says. "And she has a little baguette, and she has a little cheese, this doll does. And the name of the doll is Stella Al Fresco!"
"And she only eats outside," Spencer adds.
I've been covering toys for Good Housekeeping since 2018, and I'm so happy to see Baby Stella get a shout-out. She comes from Manhattan Toy, which has so many great playthings for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Indeed, Stella Peach Al Fresco comes with stuffed accessories, like a picnic basket, baguette and brie cheese (hilarious), along with a pacifier. She's 12 inches long, which is good for toting around, and the pacifier can attach to the doll's mouth with a magnet.
But Peach Al Fresco isn't the only doll in the Wee Baby Stella line. There's a bigger version, at 15 inches (which doesn't come with all the picnic accessories, but does have a cute outfit). There's one that looks more like a newborn, all ready for bedtime with a bottle, teddy bear and bedtime book. And in addition to picnics, there are Stella dolls that enjoy gardening, have a twin, and love wearing all colors of the rainbow.
What's great about all of these dolls is that they have soft bodies, which make them great to take along and snuggle with, in addition to being safe for toddlers to play with. (The Wee Baby Stella Peach Al Fresco doll is for kids ages 12 months and up.) They also have embroidered faces, instead of hard eyes that can be chewed on or pulled off. Plus, the dolls encourage pretend play, especially the sets with accessories like the picnic basket. (I also love the bath tub, complete with doll robe.) And when kids care for baby dolls, it helps them practice their nurturing and empathy skills.
So, to whoever did buy Lili that baby doll: good choice!
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
