When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's son Archie came into the world in May 2019, he was already making waves. Several aspects about his birth broke with royal tradition, which is now what we've come to expect from the Sussexes. Archie is the duo's first child, and he's making several firsts for the royal family — even though he's not technically even royal.
He may only be 3 years old, but Archie's already led quite a fascinating life. Here are some little known facts about the little non-prince that fans should to know.
His Name is Unique for Several Reasons
Archie's full name is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. His last name is the same as Prince Harry's, and it's just we don't hear it much. The royal family doesn't really need to use last names when they have royal titles. We love that Archie's middle name is quite literally "Harry's son." It's such a cheeky choice.
Making Archie a Top Baby Name
After his birth in early 2019, "Archie" went on to become the top baby name for boys that year, according to Today. The moniker kind of came out of nowhere, with people placing bets on the royal baby's name — completely leaving Archie out of the equation. Meghan and Harry just like to surprise people.
No Title
Meghan and Harry declined to give their son a title, like "Prince Archie." He differs from his cousins in this way, as they're all prince or princess. But the Sussexes probably wanted to give Archie his best chance at a normal life, and it's not normal to be a prince. Archie isn't the first royal child to not have a title. Princess Anne didn't give her children titles either.
Redhead
Before we'd really gotten any pictures of Archie, a source close to the royal family revealed what fans all wanted to know: Archie had Harry's red hair. And it appears his ginger locks are here to stay. So cute.
Dual Citizenship
With Meghan Markle retaining her US citizenship and Harry being British, their son has automatic dual citizenship to both the US and the UK. (Pretty cool, huh?) However, it seems that the Sussexes will continue to lean into the US part of Archie's citizendship, as they appear pretty content in the US, specifically living in California.
Still in Line for the Throne
Although Harry and Meghan have officially stepped down from royal duties, the royal succession line has stayed intact. That means that Harry is still sixth in line for the throne — after his dad, his brother, and all of his nephews and nieces. Archie comes right after his dad at seventh in line, but it's unlikely to affect anything. Still, it would be interesting if Archie ever had to become King after being raised not royal.
Foundation in His Name
When they first left the monarchy, the Sussexes had big plans to start their own foundation. They've had a bit of a bumpy start because of everything going on in the world right now. But once things do get up and running, the foundation will have a sweet nod to Archie, because it's called Archewell.
Fashion Influencer
This baby is basically an Instagram influencer, because after Archie appeared in a cute pom-pom hat at the beginning of 2020, the clothing item totally sold out. Thousands of orders were placed in just 48 hours. Just wait until he's old enough to start dressing himself. Then he can really lean into his fashion icon side.
Bit of a Flirt
Archie may have had his first crush when he visited South Africa with Meghan and Harry. The Sussexes had a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and his daughter, Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, whom Archie took a liking to. According to Us Weekly, the archbishop's daughter commented that Archie liked her "best", and Meghan said, "He likes to flirt." Probably gets it from his charming father.
Meghan Has a Funny Nickname for Archie
The same Us Weekly article revealed that Meghan has a cute pet name for her young son. When he started to drool during their South Africa tour, she called him "Bubba." (Too cute!) The magazine reported that she's also been seen calling him that on Instagram, so it seems to have really stuck. We wonder if Prince Harry has his own nickname for Archie or if he calls him Bubba too.
Interesting Connection With Princess Beatrice & Princess Eugenie
Unlike his royal cousins, Archie wasn't born in the Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital. That location was probably a bit too public for Meghan, who didn't want to do a post-birth photo shoot, like Kate Middleton. Instead, Archie was born at the Portland Hospital in Westminster. That's also where both Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were born.
Christened in the Same Gown as His Cousins
They may not have birth hospitals in common, but Archie does share another connection to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. They were all christened in the exact same gown, which is a replica of the gown Queen Victoria had made back in 1841. It's probably for the best that modern royals use a replica. Babies can be messy, and that gown is part of history.
Breaking Royal Tradition
Usually, when royal babies are born, the palace releases official merchandise to celebrate — think mugs, plates, boxes, etc. with the royal baby's face on them. Meghan and Harry, pretty unsurprisingly, didn't do that for Archie. They seem intent on letting him lead a private life, and plates with his face on them don't mesh well with that.
Being Raised Pretty Low-Key
In addition to not having royal baby merch, Archie's childhood is pretty normal in all other aspects too. For example, his first Christmas was a very low-key affair. His parents had the money to spoil him rotten, but instead, they reportedly bought him "books, building blocks, a baby ball pit."
'American' Accent
If Meghan and Harry continue to raise their son in Los Angeles, he'll be a British royal with an American accent. Honestly, we can't wait until he grows up a bit and we get to know him better. The Sussexes will likely keep him out of the spotlight as much as they can, but if and when they choose to share some Archie moments, we'll be ready.
