There was speculation for days before he finally made it into the world, with local radio presenters becoming almost inaudible with the height of their pitch as the rumours circled. Everyone wanted to be on duty when the announcement came, which it did on May 6th, a few hours after the 5.26am birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Archie weighed seven pounds and three ounces at birth, and although Meghan had been reported as wanting a home birth, he was in the end born at London’s private Portland Hospital. He is seventh in line to the throne, just behind Prince Harry, therefore extremely unlikely ever to assume the role of monarch.
Archie may also not be given an HRH title, unlike his cousins Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte (Kate and William’s children). At the moment his default title is Earl of Dunbarton, and if he had been a girl that would have been Lady. He will inherit his father’s Duke of Sussex title, but will not be called ‘Prince’ unless the Queen intervenes – which is not unheard of. Before 2012, only the eldest child of the son of the Prince of Wales would automatically be given a prince or princess title before he ascended the throne, so only George would automatically have been granted that. But the Queen issued a Letters Patent in 2012 to allow all of William and Kate’s children to receive ‘Prince’ or ‘Princess’ titles before William becomes king.
Prince Archie’s star sign is Taurus, a bull. They are supposed to be clever and honest and loyal to friends, if a little stubborn. In the lunar calendar he is a pig, which are thought to be determined characters, blessed with good fortune.
Archie would of course have been the fourth grandchild of Diana, Princess of Wales, a title that Prince Charles’s current wife, Camilla, officially has but does not use because of its close associations with the late princess.
Grandma Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, was in London for the birth and reported to be staying at Frogmore Cottage with the new parents and her grandson in the days afterwards. Archie is her first grandchild.
