Prince Archie’s ‘American’ Middle Name Has a Sweet Royal Meaning You Probably Missed

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's small family began with the arrival of their first child, Prince Archie, on May 6, 2019. While royal fans were thrilled by the news, 'Archie' was a name they had not expected, given it doesn't have any royal connection. However, Markle and Harry ensured their son’s name subtly honored his royal roots, with his distinctly 'American' middle name, 'Harrison'.

For the unversed, the little Prince’s full name is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, now Sussex. While 'Harrison' is a popular American name, it also stands for 'son of Harry,' a quiet nod to his royal lineage. Royal commentator Joe Little told the BBC how the Sussexes wanted to do things ‘a little bit different’ while their firstborn. He added, “Archie has a British feel to it, whereas Harrison is more of an American name. The first Harrison that springs to mind is Harrison Ford.”

In her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, Markle made it clear how sharing the same name with her husband and kids was important to her. Clarifying that her family now goes by Sussex after their shift to the US from the UK, she told Mindy Kaling, “It’s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn’t recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children.” The former actress continued, “I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H, and I all have together. It means a lot to me.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth and Harry’s mother, late Princess Diana, with their daughter’s name: Lilibeth ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The late Queen, as a toddler, couldn't pronounce her name, uttering 'Lilibeth' instead. The name stuck, with her close family continuing to call her so.

Markle, who often talks about her kids during public appearances, recently celebrated her son’s new milestone, the little Prince losing his first tooth. During an interview with Fast Company, the Duchess revealed that her son could not wait till the morning to receive gifts from her tooth fairy. He woke up at 2 am to show his mother how he got some cash and a dinosaur, and the two snuggled all night. As the milestone was a special one for her, Markle added, “I had a lot of business meetings the next morning, but I still chose to cuddle with him the rest of the night. Those mom moments energise me to be a better founder, a better employer, a better boss.”

On Archie’s sixth birthday last month, Markle shared a rare picture of him looking at a sunset while dressed in pyjamas. Sharing the picture, she wrote, “Our son. Our sun. Happy 6th birthday to Archie! Thank you for all of the love, prayers, and warm wishes for our sweet boy. He’s six! Where did the time go? (And for all of you who came to celebrate with us at his party last weekend, thank you for making his birthday so incredibly special.)”