Harry and Meghan’s son Archie is given free bike with training wheels for his 4th birthday: Duke and Duchess send ‘thank you’ letter to British owner of Montecito store
- Martin and Jennifer Blevins delivered the bike to the Montecito mansion
Prince Archie was given a free bike with training wheels for his birthday, the British owner of a Montecito store revealed today.
Martin and Jennifer Blevins delivered it to Meghan and Harry’s $14.7million mansion along with flowers, balloons and a card for the little boy, who turned four on May 6.
The gift was revealed by the couple, who run the Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop in Montecito, after they posted a thank you letter from the Sussexes’ on their Instagram page.
The married couple appear to be such fans of the royals that according to their Insta they have named one of their dogs Meghan Markle, riding their beloved pup around in a special sidecar attached to one of their luxury bikes. He also greets visitors to their store, used by a host of stars including fellow Brit Simon Cowell.
But the Blevins’ have been criticised by some who believe the bike should have gone to a less privileged child. Sussex supporters were upset that they shared the thank you letter, on Sussex headed paper but not signed by the couple, on social media.
One critic wrote sarcastically: ‘Too important to write their own letters’. But one supporter said: ‘If you’re angry a company sent a bike to a little boy on his birthday as a sweet surprise, you’re the one who has the problem’.
Meghan and Harry’s thank you letter after a Montecito store delivered a free bike for his 4th birthday last month
Archie, pictured with his family, was said to be thrilled by the gift
Shop owner Martin, a Brit in California, delivered the gift personally. He appears to be such a fan of the couple he has named one of their dogs Meghan Markle (pictured in a sidecar)
Meghan the dog greets visitors to their store in Montecito
Jennifer Blevins told PEOPLE that they made the ‘spontaneous’ decision to give Archie a special birthday gift.
She said: ‘He [Martin] went and he got one of our little specialized kids’ bikes — they’re really nice little bikes — and he’s like, “This one’s perfect, it’s got training wheels”.
‘And so he went and got some birthday balloons, and he got some flowers for Meghan and a birthday card, and he said, “Okay, I’m gonna bike over and take it to their house”.’
Security then came to check who he was. After checking who Martin was, and the packages, security allowed him to leave the gift.
‘He said, “I’m just a British business in town that wanted to give Archie a gift”.’, she added.
A month later the thank you letter arrived from the couple.
Ms Blevins said: ‘A courier came by our little shop on Coast Village Road and he dropped off that letter.
‘I was making a joke, I said, “It better be a thank you letter” and it really was. I wasn’t expecting that. I had no idea.
‘It was so thoughtful because, you know, they took the time to write something personal and not just a generic thank you.
‘Every celebrity in that town has bought bikes from us, and they all come through there,” she recalled. “None of them sent a thank you letter.
‘His little sister Lili can enjoy it too as she grows, it’ll be one that both of them like’.
Martin with fellow Brit Simon Cowell
The bike shop has been criticised for giving a free bike to a prince and making it public
The letter from Harrison Colcord, from the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, was then posted to the bike shop’s Instagram.
It read: ‘On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, please accept their sincere thanks for the thoughtful gift you sent to Prince Archie for his fourth birthday. The bike has brought much joy, and is most appreciated by the family. They asked that I convey their gratitude at the lovely surprise’.
Harry had dashed to the airport to jump on a British Airways flight home moments after the Coronation finished so he could see Archie on his birthday last month.
The Duke of Sussex was spotted entering Heathrow still in formal dress and clutching an order of service before boarding the 3.45pm plane.
The service had only finished at 1pm, giving Harry little time to make the 20-mile journey from Westminster which would usually take nearly an hour by car.
But he was determined to make it back to his Montecito mansion to be with Meghan on their eldest son Archie’s fourth birthday.
Harry, 38, touched down at LA Airport at around 6.30pm local time – 2.30am in Britain – from where he was whisked to his home 90 miles up the coast.
The duke’s chauffeur-driven Range Rover was spotted picking him up from the airport’s exclusive Private Suites hanger.
It meant he was likely celebrating with Meghan, 41, Archie and Lilibet, one, by around 8pm.
Sources had stressed Harry would be ‘in and out of the UK in 24 hours’ in the run-up to the occasion as he did not want to miss his son’s birthday.
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