The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first-born child Prince Archie turns six today, but he would have been given a special title had it not been for one issue that “bothered” his parents
Prince Archie was born on this day in 2019(Image: Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, reportedly declined to give a rare royal title to their son Prince Archie due to worries about potential bullying or unfortunate nicknames.
Prince Archie, who is celebrating his sixth birthday today, was nearly given the title of Earl of Dumbarton, a title that has been dormant since the mid-1700s. However, an insider revealed that both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were hesitant to use the Scottish noble title, fearing it could lead to mockery and name-calling.
Speaking to The Telegraph, an insider claimed: “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.” Another source added: “It wasn’t just Meghan who pointed out the potential pitfalls, it also bothered Harry.”
The Collins Dictionary defines ‘dumb’ as an adjective used to describe someone who is “stupid or foolish”.
The Earl of Dumbarton title was first established in the Peerage of Scotland in March 1675. It was given to George Douglas, son of the Marquess of Douglas and younger brother of the Earl of Selkirk, in recognition of his service during the Franco-Dutch War, reports the Express.
The title Earl of Dumbarton was first used by George Douglas in 1675
Lord Dumbarton was also known as Lord Douglas of Ettrick. He was married to Anne Douglas, the first Countess of Dumbarton, who was the sister of Catherine Fitzroy, Duchess of Northumberland. After the death of their only son, the unmarried second Earl, both titles became extinct in January 1749.
The title would not see the light of day until May 2018 – 269 years and four months later – when the late Queen Elizabeth II revived it as one of the two subsidiary titles for Prince Harry when he married Meghan.
However, when the couple stepped back from their Royal duties, they agreed to stop using the HRH (Her/His Royal Highness) title, but retained their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The couple lost the use of these titles when they ceased being working royals in 2020 and relocated first to Canada, then to the US. While the agreement didn’t strip them of their titles, it did limit how they could be used.
Talk about their titles came as Meghan recently came under fire for using her HRH title to give gifts to an American businesswoman.
During an appearance on the Jamie Kern Lima podcast, the Duchess was seen to give her host a gift basket with a card adorning the words: “With Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex” – a move which was dismissed by Royal experts as “pompous”.
Jamie revealed that Meghan had lifted her spirits during a stressful period by delivering some ice cream and “home made strawberry sauce”.