Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their first child in May 2019. Their son is called Archie Harrison but the million-dollar question is whether he is a prince or not.
Harry and Markle had revealed the name of their baby just two days after his birth. As the child is the first-born son of Harry, he should be entitled to the title Earl of Dumbarton. It also happens to be one of the subsidiary titles of Archie’s father.
It is interesting to note that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided not to use any royal title for their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. According to Marlene Koenig, a royal historian, Archie will be not referred to as the Earl of Dumbarton.
While the original family name is Windsor, it was declared at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation that the last name of Prince Philip would also become a part of the formal royal surname.
According to Victoria Arbiter, a royal commentator, many people thought that baby would be given the title of Earl. However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opted to let go of all royal titles so that their child can have a normal life. While Archie has the eligibility to become an Earl, they preferred not to use it, Economic Times reports.
However, it is interesting to note that Archie Harrison is not a prince courtesy King George V, his great-great-grandfather. As such, he did not get a royal title after his birth.
George V had passed a law in 1917 that does not make Archie eligible to be a prince at this time. Rather he is referred to as Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
According to The Letters Patent passed by King George V in 1917, royal titles can be given to only the grandchildren and children of the sovereign belonging to the male line, as well as, to the heir’s eldest grandson from his eldest son.
The law signifies that the four children of the Queen will be referred to as prince and princesses. However, only her sons can pass such a title to all her grandchildren.
The rule also denotes that the Queen’s great-grandchildren from Prince Charles downwards can be called Prince, as well as, referred to as His Royal Highness. Ideally, it means the royal title should have stopped with Prince George who is third-in-line to the monarchy after Prince William, his father and Prince Charles, his grandfather.
However, in 2013, the Queen made an exception by extending royal titles to Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie Harrison is not a prince now, he could become one when Prince Charles becomes King, Express reports.