Meghan Markle and Harry 'spiteful' for leaving Archie - Queen 'won't be here much longer'

Harry and Meghan will carry out their final engagements this week. [Image: Getty Images]

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are "spiteful" if they opt not to bring their son Archie over to the UK while they carry out their final royal engagements, the British Queen's former press secretary has claimed.

Dickie Arbiter, who worked for the royal family from 1988 to 2000, claims there is "no excuse" for the couple not to bring him, saying he should spend time with his great-grandparents while he can.

He says the couple should consider that Queen and Prince Philip "won't be here much longer", but they haven't seen little Archie since last year.

Harry has been in the UK for the last week and has already attended a number of engagements. Meghan has now joined him ahead of her final events - including the Endeavour Fund Awards this evening.

It's not been confirmed either way as to whether Meghan will bring Archie with her, but they left him in Canada for their last visit earlier this year.

Speaking to Nine News Australia , Dickie said: "It would be a great pity if he's not brought over. He's not seen his great-grandparents or his grandad since last year.

"There's always the excuse, "Well he's too young to fly"; babies fly all the time, they flew Archie down to Southern Africa in October for that visit, so it wasn't too far to take him there, so I believe that they should bring him.

"I'm sorry, there isn't an excuse for not bringing him. After all, he's got to meet his family, his family are not going to get a chance to see him for quite some time, because Harry and Meghan are going to be in Canada or the United States."

Asked if he thought Meghan and Harry were being spiteful if they do leave him at home, Archie replied: "Well it is spiteful, it's inconsiderate as well, and the Queen is going to be 94 in April, she's not going to be with us much longer.

"Prince Philip is going to be 99 in June, he's not going to be here much longer.

"You've got to be practical, he was in the hospital at Christmas, he looked pretty frail when he came out, and he's up at Sandringham, nobody's seen him, and he is frail.

"People do get frail at that age and it would be a great pity if Archie wasn't brought over so that his great-grandparents could see him."

The couple's final engagements as royals will be the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday, where they will reunite publicly with the Queen, Prince Charles and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for the first time since they announced they were stepping down.

Their decision has reportedly caused a lot of anger and upset behind closed doors.