Meghan Markle and Harry ‘crossed a line’ with Archie says expert
Archie’s birth certificate has been a topic of contention over the past week, after it emerged that the Duchess removed her given names ‘Rachel Meghan’ leaving just ‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex’ three weeks after registering his arrival. This revelation sparked wild speculation as to why Meghan might have wanted to do this, causing the former Suits actress to release a statement insisting this had been “dictated” to her by the Palace. A source told Express.co.uk: “The birth certificate was changed by the former Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to ensure consistency in the name and title of The Duchess of Sussex with other private documents.”
However, Archie’s birth certificate is also significant for several other reasons, such as the use of Philip’s name Mountbatten, and also his first name being a very interesting choice.
Meghan and Harry deviated from Diana’s naming style of having a formal name and a nickname.
Prince Charles and Diana named their second son Henry Charles Albert David, but from the very beginning he was known as Prince Harry.
This can be seen from an article in The Guardian on September 17, 1984, just two days after Harry was born.
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Meghan and Harry ignored Princess Diana tactic when naming Archie (Image: GETTY)
Meghan and Harry with their newborn Archie (Image: GETTY)
The headline read: “Prince Harry quick to begin learning his royal duties”, referring to the Prince’s first ever photoshoot 22 hours after his birth.
However, Meghan and Harry opted for Archie over Archibald, meaning his official name is the shortened version.
This highlights the difference in their naming tactics ‒ while Charles and Diana went for one official name and one preferred name, Meghan and Harry have jumped straight to the preferred name.
Another interesting choice by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was to decline using a title.
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (Image: GETTY)
Archie is the heir apparent to his father’s Dukedom of Sussex but until then Harry has the option of allowing his son to use one of his subsidiary titles as a courtesy title, such as the Earl of Dumbarton.
Prince Edward chose to give his son James the courtesy title of Viscount Severn.
However, Meghan and Harry decided against this, so Archie is simply known by his name.
The Sussexes are said to have been inspired by the Greek word ‘arche’ meaning ‘source of action’ when naming their son.
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Archie Harrison fact file (Image: EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)
This was also the inspiration for their non-profit Archewell.
Meanwhile, Archie’s middle name Harrison literally means ‘son of Harry’.
Archie’s is only the third royal baby to have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, after a row back in the Fifties over the Queen’s descendants’ names.
Prince Philip wanted to pass on his name ‘Mountbatten’, an anglicised version of his mother’s name Battenberg.
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However, he was told that his children would instead keep the Royal Family’s surname of Windsor.
He was reportedly “deeply hurt” and felt like this made him an “amoeba”.
The Duke of Edinburgh complained that he was the only man in the country who was not allowed to pass on his name to his children.
In 1960, a compromise was reached that any of their descendants who were not HRH, a prince or princess, or a female descendent who got married, would bear the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
Prince Philip wanted to pass his name onto this children (Image: GETTY)
All four of their children were automatically HRH, and their grandchildren through Charles and Andrew were also HRH, while Princess Anne’s children took her husband Mark Phillips’ name.
Finally, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared on a royal birth certificate when Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex decided not to give their children HRH status.
Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn’s surnames are Mountbatten-Windsor.
This makes Archie the third royal child to take this name.
Archie is seventh-in-line to the throne after Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and his father Prince Harry.
