Why Baby Archie's surname caused a royal family row - even before he was born

Prince Harry, Meghan and Baby Archie
(Image credit: Getty)

Baby Archie's surname caused a royal family row even before he was born it has been revealed.

Baby Archie's surname sparked a royal row in the years leading up to his birth it has been revealed.

The youngster, who turns two in May, is the son of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

And while the youngster's name Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was an unusual baby name, it was his surname that caused a lot of headaches, according to history.

Meghan, who is expecting her second child with husband Prince Harry, revealed the shock claims over 'racism' in the royal family towards her unborn son Archie, in a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey.

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And while the world is still adjusting to the bombshell claims, it's understood that Archie's surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which dates back to 1952, caused a royal row between Prince Phillip and other key figures.

According to Royal.uk website, the surname, which is the Royal Family's official surname used by all members who don't have a title, was not written on an official document until 1973.

Prince Phillip, who recently left hospital following a heart operation, was known as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg before he married the Queen in 1947.

But his name wasn't considered neutral enough so he adopted the name Mountbatten - which was after his grandparents.

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But instead of their first-born Prince Charles in 1948, taking his name, Elizabeth II went on to be Queen in 1952 and had to confirm the official surname of the Royal Family and many wanted her to keep Windsor instead of Mountbatten.

At the time, Philip reportedly said, "I am nothing but a bloody amoeba. I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children."

The matter was even discussed in Parliament but Winston Churchill is said to have been an advocate for using the name Windsor and The Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary, agreed.

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And it wasn't until 1960 that The Queen decided to address the name once and for all, telling the then PM Harold Macmillan that "she absolutely needed to revisit" the issue and admitted it "had been irritating her husband since 1952".

Finally, a comprise was met, and on February 8, 1960 - 11 days before Prince Andrew, the Queen's third child, was born - the Queen declared that she had adopted the name Mountbatten-Windsor.

Selina Maycock
Senior Entertainment Writer

Selina is currently a Senior Entertainment Writer for Goodto.com, formerly Senior Entertainment writer for Woman&Home, and My Imperfect Life and has more than 16 years of experience in newspapers, magazines and online. She currently writes a mix of Entertainment news - including celebrity births, weddings and reality show line-ups including Strictly, Dancing On Ice and The Great British Bake Off, reporting the the latest news about the Royal kids Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet as well as Family news stories from baby names to store closures and product recall warnings. Before joining Future Publishing, Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism. She is fully NCTJ and NCE qualified and has 100wpm shorthand. When she's not interviewing celebrities you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories.