Entertainment
Hello, Archie! Meghan and Harry name son Archie Harrison
FILE: The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were today introduced to the newborn son of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle. The Duchess’ mother, Ms Doria Ragland was also present. (Photo: The Royal Family/Facebook)
The royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since their marriage not quite a year ago, said the full name of the child born seventh in line to the British throne is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
The baby slept peacefully through his carefully orchestrated media moment. His mother, making her first public appearance since giving birth early Monday, called Archie “a dream” who “has the sweetest temperament.”
“He’s really calm,” Meghan said.
Harry quipped: “I wonder who he gets that from.”
Harry and Meghan did not choose an aristocratic title for their son. He is not a prince but could have been given the title “Lord” before his first name.
Instead he will be known for now as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.”
The surname, used by some members of the royal family, was created to recognize the lineage of both Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.
Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name. Prince Harry’s full name is Henry Charles Albert David.
The couple did not disclose why they chose his first and middle names — though the meaning of Harrison, “son of Harry,” is probably a clue.
Many in Britain had expected a more traditional royal name, with bookmakers taking many bets on Alexander, Arthur and James.
Archie, a name of Germanic origin with meanings that include “genuine”, “bold” and “brave,” is an increasingly popular baby name in Britain. It was among the top 20 most common boy’s names in 2017, according to the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics.
Tourists visiting Windsor Castle, which is nearby the royal residence outside London that Meghan and Harry moved into last month, mulled over the baby’s name. Surprise seemed to be the most common reaction.
“A mouthful for him,” Elizabeth Barker, an Irish tourist, said laughing. “But anyway, I guess, if that’s what they wanted, then it’s the name that they like. You know, nobody has to like it.”
In America, famous Archies, both real and fictional, have included former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp and the red-haired comic book character Archie Andrews.
The baby’s name was announced a few hours after his proud parents posed with him for cameras, helping to satisfy a huge global appetite since their son was born Monday at 5:26 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces (3.26 kilograms).
Standing in the vast, red-carpeted St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, Harry cradled the newborn in his arms. The baby lay silently, swaddled in a white merino wool shawl and wearing a knitted cap. Both were made by English firm G.H. Hurt & Son, which has supplied three generations of royal babies with knitwear.
Meghan declared motherhood to be “magic.”
“It’s pretty amazing,” said the 37-year-old American, formerly known as actress Meghan Markle. “I have the two best guys in the world, so I’m really happy.”
Asked who the baby took after, Harry said it was too soon to tell.
“Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks,” said the 34-year-old prince. “We’re basically monitoring how the changing process happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single day, so who knows.”
“We’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy,” he added.
The couple left the photo call to introduce the baby to his great-grandparents, the queen and Prince Philip. The infant is the eighth great-grandchild of 93-year-old Elizabeth, Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
They were joined by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who is staying with the couple at their Frogmore Cottage home near the queen’s Windsor Castle residence.
The baby is the first Anglo-American member of the royal family, and is eligible for U.S. citizenship should his parents want him to have it. He has African-American heritage though his biracial mother.
Meghan, the former star of the TV show “Suits,” married Harry, the ex-soldier younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in May 2018. An audience of millions around the world watched the spectacular televised wedding ceremony at Windsor Castle, 20 miles (32 kilometres) west of London.
Harry is due to return to royal duties Thursday, attending an event in The Hague for the Invictus Games sports competition for injured service personnel and veterans. Harry is likely to make the jaunt to the Netherlands as a day trip so he can get back to his family in Windsor.
Prince William, Harry’s older brother and a father of three, joked Tuesday that he will be glad “to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting!”
“Obviously thrilled, absolutely thrilled, and obviously looking forward to seeing them in the next few days,” William told reporters.
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This story has corrected the baby’s name to Archie, not Archibald. A previous version also corrected the status of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Philip to great-grandparents, not grandparents.
