Meghan Markle and Prince Harry almost gave Archie a different name

published 3 September 2020

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry almost didn't call their son Archie when he was born.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle thought about a different name for their son, Archie, when he was born
They wanted "something traditional" and "powerful without a title in front of it," according to the book, Finding Freedom
In other royal news, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced something hugely exciting

In fact, the couple almost considered a different name for the one-year-old.

In their book, Finding Freedom, royal experts Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write that Meghan and Harry ”wanted something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it”.

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A friend of the couple is quoted as saying, "They thought about Archibald for all of one second.

“He was always going to be little Archie."

Harry and Meghan moved away from the UK to raise their son outside the royal family - but it looks like Archie could still face a certain royal restriction as an adult.

It’s highly likely that Archie will be raised in the US, after his parents bought a house in Santa Barbara a few weeks ago.

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But while Harry and Meghan decided not to give Archie a royal title at birth, he will still move up the line of succession when his grandfather Prince Charles becomes king. When this happens, Archie will automatically become a prince and it will be up to him to decide whether he uses his royal title when he reaches 18.

However, a royal expert recently claimed that even if Archie decides against using his HRH style, there is still a chance he will be subject to a royal law surrounding marriage.

According to expert Iain MacMarthanne, the 2013 Succession of the Crown Act rules that royals who are sixth in line to the throne and above must ask the presiding monarch for permission to marry – so this is likely to apply to Archie one day.

Archie could, therefore, face the same rule as his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Hayley is a Celebrity Features Editor with more than five years' experience in online and magazines. She currently looks after all things celebrity for Woman, Woman’s Own, Woman’s Weekly, Woman & Home, and Goodto.com. Before joining Future, Hayley spent a year as a TV reporter for Mirror Online and a year and a half as a showbiz and TV reporter for OK! Online - but was forced to write about tech and cars for a year before that, despite knowing nothing about either!.