Prince Harry’s relationship with the royal family has generated years of headlines. But one of his sweetest memories of Queen Elizabeth had nothing to do with palace drama or public feuds.

Instead, it centered on Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and a funny observation the late monarch made after finally spending time with them during the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. According to Harry, the Queen had expected two California-raised children to be a little more… well, American.

Prince Harry recalled Queen Elizabeth’s playful observation about Archie and Lilibet

The story came from Harry’s memoir “Spare,” where he reflected on what became his children’s final visit with Queen Elizabeth. The June 2022 trip was particularly significant. It marked the first, and ultimately only, time the monarch met Lilibet in person after Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior royals and settled in California.

Harry remembered watching his children interact naturally with his grandmother. Archie, then 3, greeted her with what he described as “deep, chivalrous bows,” while 1-year-old Lilibet happily wandered over to cuddle her great-grandmother’s legs.

The Queen’s response caught him by surprise. In “Spare,” Harry recalled her smiling and saying, “Sweetest children,” before admitting she had expected something else. “She’d expected them to be a bit more… American, I think? Meaning, in her mind, more rambunctious,” he wrote. (Quotes from “Spare,” as excerpted by PEOPLE.)

The memory carried even more weight after Queen Elizabeth died just a few months later. In a heartfelt statement published by Archewell, Harry thanked his grandmother for the moments they shared, writing, “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings,” including the day she met Meghan Markle and embraced her great-grandchildren. He added, “I cherish these times shared with you.” (Statement via Archewell Foundation, as cited by PEOPLE.)

The visit was also emotional for King Charles. A royal source told PEOPLE that he was “delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time,” calling the reunion “very emotional” and “a wonderful thing.”

With Harry’s return to the U.K. approaching for the Invictus Games countdown, the anecdote has resurfaced as a reminder that, despite years of tension inside the royal family, some of the most memorable moments were also the simplest. Sometimes, all it took was two well-behaved kids to surprise the Queen.