Meghan Markle and Prince Harry want Archie to have a 'normal life'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry introduced their baby son to their world on Wednesday during an intimate photo opportunity at Windsor Castle.
Just a few hours later, the new parents announced his name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
In the lead-up to the birth, it was thought the baby would take the title of Earl of Dumbarton — one of Harry’s subsidiary titles given to him by the queen on his wedding day last May.
But a Buckingham Palace aide told Yahoo U.K. that while there are courtesy titles that the duke and duchess could apply to their son, they have chosen not to give him one at this time.
It’s a decision that suggests Meghan and Harry want to give their son as normal a life as possible. As seventh-in-line to the throne, he’ll almost certainly never be on the throne.
Before he was born, Meghan and Harry made the decision to keep details around his birth private.
Their move to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor was also thought to be prompted by a desire to have a quieter life away from the spotlight.
Their previous home, Nottingham Cottage, within the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, wouldn’t have afforded them as much privacy.
The decision to forgo a title for their baby son could also be down to Harry’s struggles as a member of the royal family and growing up in the spotlight.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday in June 2017, Harry admitted he once “wanted out” and considered quitting the royal family to live a commoner's life.
“It’s exactly what I would have expected from Harry,” royal author Penny Junor told the Metro. “He would have dearly liked to have been a normal boy growing up and found his title very difficult.
“I think that his choice for his son is to let him have the kind of life that he didn’t have.”
Royal editor Robert Jobson also told Yahoo U.K.’s “The Royal Box” that Meghan and Harry’s child “will have a bit of freedom” when it comes to his or her future.
“It’s clearly, from knowing Harry over the years, something that he certainly has hankered after and I think if he could give that to his son or daughter, he would,” Jobson added.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Baby Sussex's birth announcement included a sweet tribute to Princess Diana
Michelle Obama 'can't wait to meet' Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's royal baby boy
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