Prince Archie’s Royal Title Was Once ‘Turned Down’ By Harry And Meghan — The Sussexes Had One Very Specific Concern

Prince Archie could have carried a very different royal title from the moment he was born — but Harry and Meghan reportedly chose to turn it down because they feared “how it may look”.

Born on May 6, 2019, Archie was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first child and was initially given the name Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. His younger sister, Princess Lilibet, was born in the US in 2021.

Now seven, Archie has recently returned to Britain with his parents and sister as the Sussex family begins a new chapter in the UK.

The Title Archie Could Have Had

When Archie was born, the rules surrounding royal titles meant he was not automatically entitled to be a prince.

Letters Patent issued by King George V in 1917 stated that the children of the sovereign, the male-line grandchildren of the sovereign and the eldest son of the Prince of Wales were entitled to princely styles.

This meant Prince William’s children received their prince and princess titles at birth, while Archie was initially known simply as Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

But there was another royal style available to him.

Why Harry And Meghan Reportedly Said No

When Harry and Meghan married, the late Queen Elizabeth II gave them the titles Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, as well as Baron and Baroness Kilkeel.

As the subsidiary title of his father’s earldom, Archie could therefore have been styled the Earl of Dumbarton.

According to a report in The Telegraph, however, Harry and Meghan rejected the option because they did not want their son to have “dumb” in his title.

It was previously explained that the couple had concerns about “how that might look”, leaving Archie without a courtesy title during his early years.

Archie Later Became A Prince

The situation changed after King Charles III became monarch.

A few months after his accession, it was announced that Archie and Lilibet would be known as Prince and Princess, respectively, in accordance with the rules governing grandchildren of the sovereign.

The decision meant Archie’s official style changed dramatically from the one he had carried since birth.

Harry and Meghan have now brought both children back to Britain, with Archie and Lilibet attending British schools.

For Archie, the move marks another striking chapter in a royal title story that began with his parents deliberately choosing a much less traditional path for their first child.