Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor: 5 Things To Know About Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s Baby

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, and debuted the bundle of joy to the world two days later. Here’s what you should know about the royal baby.

Meghan Markle, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, happily showed off their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to the world when they stepped out with the bundle of joy two days after his birth on May 8. The proud glowing parents couldn’t help but gush over their new addition, who the public have referred to as “Baby Sussex”, to reporters and photographers as Harry held him close in a blanket at the royal press area of St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle in the U.K. Meghan and Harry called their new baby boy “a dream” with the “sweetest temperament.” Here are five things you should know about Archie and his future as a royal.

1.) His name has a special meaning. Although Meghan and Harry’s chosen name for their son, who was born on May 6 at 5:26 am and weighed 7lb 3 oz, surprised many royal enthusiasts because it isn’t one of the more traditional ones, it turns out there does seem to be a reason they picked it. Archie means “distinguished and bold” and is a shortened version of the name Archibald, a name Harry’s late mother Princess Diana‘s ancestor, Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll of Scotland, had. The royal couple’s decision to choose the shortened version as their son’s official first name reflects a combination of the classic royal side and Meghan’s more casual American side.

Baby Sussex’s middle name has an even bigger and literal meaning. Harrison means “son of Henry” or “son of Harry”, which seems like the perfect choice given Harry, whose full name is Henry Charles Albert David, is his father. Archie’s last name, Mountbatten-Windsor, is the same last name all the descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip use.

2. At the time of his birth, he was not given a courtesy name. Courtesy names are additional names or titles used to refer to someone into adulthood and many of the royal family members use them. One example is Harry being referred to as “Harry Wales”, which is derived from his father, Prince Charles‘ title. On May 8, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace confirmed that Meghan and Harry had no plans to use a courtesy name for baby Archie. “It’s true that they have chosen not to give their son the courtesy title at this time,” the spokesperson said, according to the Washington Post.

3.) Being born a royal, he has many notable relatives. In addition to Harry being his dad, Archie is, of course, the grandson of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, who passed away in 1997. He is also the nephew of Harry’s brother Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton aka the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. He is the great grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. On Meghan’s side, Archie is the grandson of her parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, and he is the nephew of Meghan’s half siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr.

4.) He is seventh in line to the British throne. His position in line makes him extremely unlikely to ever be King but he’s still very much a part of the royal family. Based on the rules of the monarchy, the eldest living child of the current King or Queen is the next in line to the throne and the tradition continues down the line from there. Since Prince William is the eldest living child to Prince Charles, who is next in line for the throne, his children, George, Charlotte and Louis, are more likely to someday be King or Queen, which is why they are referred to as “Prince” and “Princess”. In the unlikely event that Prince William and all three of his children couldn’t take the throne, Harry would be next in line followed by Archie.

5.) Within minutes of his name announcement, he already had his own page on the royal family’s website. Just like when his mom, Meghan, married Harry in May 2018, the royals didn’t waste any time in happily adding Archie to the platform. His page includes the first public pics of him with Meghan and Harry as well as his name, birth details, and reaction from family members.