Archie Harrison Mountbatten - Windsor is the firstborn of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex. He became the seventh in the line of succession to the British crown. She is also the first member of the British royal family to be born American and have African American roots.
Birth and first public appearance
Archie Harrison Mountbatten - Windsor was born on May 6, 2019 at 5:26 am in London, England. His birth weight was 3.260 kg.
On the same day, Prince Harry personally announced the birth of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor near their home in Windsor, England.
Prince Henry (Harry), Duke of Sussex Photo: Office of the Governor-General / Wikimedia Commons
Unlike other members of the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry did not participate in the photo shoot with their newborn baby a few hours after giving birth.
The very first public appearance of young parents with their son took place on May 8, 2019 at Windsor Castle. Then Markle said about his son that he has a wonderful and calm character.
Atypical name
Immediately after the public appearance on Instagram, the name of the baby was published - Archie Harrison Mountbatten - Windsor. The choice of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex surprised many. Indeed, in the ranking of the most likely names, Albert, Arthur and Philip were in the lead. Also considered was such an option as Spencer - the surname of Harry's mother, Princess Diana.
But Harry and Meghan settled on Archie, the diminutive of Archibald, who is quite popular in England. According to the UK Office for National Statistics, it ranked 18th among the most sought-after male names in 2017.
Archie means authentic, brave and brave. Harrison, that is, "son of Harry", indicates a relationship with Mountbatten - the father of Windsor.
Why not a prince
Although Archie Mountbatten - Windsor is the son of a prince, he cannot automatically receive this title. This is due to the rules that were established by King George V in 1917 to limit the number of princes and princesses in the royal family. Thus, Prince Harry, as the second son of Prince Charles, does not qualify for the transfer of his princely status.
In the Mountbatten-Windsor generation, only Archie's cousin Prince George, as the firstborn of Prince William, was automatically entitled to be a prince. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the youngest children of William and Kate Middleton, received their titles through the intervention of Queen Elizabeth II. She can also make Mountbatten Windsor a prince. But this, most likely, will not happen.
Queen Elizabeth II Photo: NASA / Bill Ingalls / Wikimedia Commons
The fact is that Mountbatten-Windsor could become Earl of Dumbarton using one of his father's lesser titles. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose not to use it. Therefore, it will be possible to refer to a member of the royal family as Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. It is assumed that the Duke and Duchess chose this particular title in the hopes of giving their son the opportunity to enjoy a more normal childhood. But as Prince Garia's firstborn, Mountbatten-Windsor must one day inherit the title of Duke of Sussex.
Family heritage
Archie Harrison Mountbatten - Windsor is the eighth great-grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and the fourth grandson of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex Photo: Office of the Governor-General / Wikimedia Commons
Mountbatten-Windsor's mother, Meghan Markle, is the daughter of African-American Doria Ragland and white American Thomas Markle. This fact makes Master Archie the first Anglo-American member of the British royal family to be born in an interracial marriage.
