Why Meghan and Harry Rejected the Title "Earl of Dumbarton" for Archie

Since his birth, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have gone to great lengths to protect their son, Archie, doing everything from keeping his birth out of the spotlight (opens in new tab) to suing tabloids (opens in new tab) that try to obtain Archie's picture via drone. Turns out, the parents also rejected a specific royal title for their child to ensure he wouldn't be teased later on.

The Telegraph reports that, as someone in the royal line of succession, Archie had the option of being named "Earl of Dumbarton." (Harry and Meghan were given the titles "Duke and Duchess of Sussex," "Earl and Countess of Dumbarton," and "Baron and Baroness Kilkeel" by the Queen when they were wed.) But Harry and Meghan said no for fear it could lead to bullying. "They didn’t like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word ‘dumb’ [and] they were worried about how that might look," a source told the outlet (opens in new tab).

A second source added that it wasn't just Meghan's concern, but that it "also bothered Harry."

Instead, Archie is simply referred to as "Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor."

While Harry and Meghan (rightfully) were worried about bullying (kids are mean), they revealed during their tell-all interview with Oprah in March that they still hoped to give Archie a royal title (as was protocol) to ensure his protection. But that it was denied, with the couple hinting that racism may have been the root cause.

"[The Firm] were saying they didn’t want him to be a prince or princess, which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn’t going to receive security," Meghan said. "This went on for the last few months of our pregnancy, where I was going, 'Hold on for a second.' They said [he’s not going to get security] because he’s not going to be a prince. Okay, well, he needs to be safe so we’re not saying don’t make him a prince or princess, but if you’re saying the title is what’s going to affect that protection, we haven’t created this monster machine around us in terms of clickbait and tabloid fodder. You’ve allowed that to happen, which means our son needs to be safe."

And while many assumed Archie's royal status might change once his grandfather, Charles, ascends to the throne, it was made clear recently that the Prince of Wales wont be allowing that to happen. In fact, Prince Charles is looking into changing legal documents to ensure Archie or his sister Lilibet wont be named a prince or princess.