Where Does Baby Sussex Stand in Line for the Throne

Sources claim Meghan and Harry have been hiding details about baby Archie in the hopes of never getting caught. Here is everything we know about the royal baby so far.

An announcement to the world

Back in October 2018, the world eagerly awaited to learn more about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's lives inside the palace. The couple announced through their social media channel that they were expecting a baby, and not long after that, they set off for their first royal tour as newlyweds. Ever since the couple had first tied the knot, there had been speculation wondering when they would announce their first baby together.

People wanted to know how long it was going to take before Harry and Meghan began to grow their family, and they didn't have to wait long. Following the announcement, it was normal life for the royal couple as they continued to perform their duties, and we got to watch Meghan's baby bump grow.

How he's going to be brought up

One thing people couldn't help but wonder was how little Archie was going to be raised among the Royal Family. He had cousins who were not much older than him who were likely going to lead very different lives. Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, were known for sticking closely to royal protocol, perhaps because William will one day be king.

That meant their children were directly in line for the throne, and as such, had to be brought up with that in mind. Archie, on the other hand, is going to have a much more relaxed upbringing as his parents want him to have as normal a life as possible. People speculated that Archie could be given chores when he's growing up, and others thought he might even be raised vegan by his parents.

Announcing Archie's arrival to the world

Ever since Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting a baby, people began to wonder about this new addition. We knew pretty much nothing about Archie as his parents were keeping their cards close to their chests. People were trying to guess the gender and bets were being taken on what name the royal couple would give their baby. Archie was born on May 6 and weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz.

The couple let the world know about Archie's arrival through their social media account, which isn't typically how the Royal Family likes to make such announcements. A royal announcement confirmed Archie was born at 5:26 in the morning, but the public was not informed until after midday. It appeared as though Harry and Meghan were trying to keep things a secret for as long as possible.

Picking an unusual name for their son

You might not think that Archie is that unusual of a name, but as far as the Royal Family goes, this was not expected. Fans of the Royal Family had thought that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would choose a more traditionally royal name for their son. Typically royal couples have to get the Queen to approve of their name choices, and it can mean fans are left waiting for a week before an announcement is made.

Harry and Meghan didn't keep royal fans waiting long for a name, and after just a few days, the couple announced their son was called Archie Harrison. People were surprised by the name choice, but it became clear that the couple was not willing to stick to the traditions of the Royal Family for much longer.

Giving Archie a normal surname

While naming their son, Harry and Meghan also had a decision to make on what surname to choose. They decided to go for Mountbatten-Windsor, to give both of Harry's grandparents some credit. The name is a combination of Prince Phillips and the Queen's, however, most royal children don't have their great grandfather's surname.

This is due to establishing the Windsor name as the royal line of succession, a move which reportedly upset Phillip a great deal. In choosing the name Mountbatten-Windsor, it seems that Harry is trying to show some love to his grandfather by choosing his surname for his son. It also means Archie won't have a royal title, which means he may well get that slightly more normal upbringing his parents are hoping for him.

Just Archie

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have passed in their titles to their children, which means their names can take quite a while to say. For instance, Prince George's full name is His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. Things will be much less complicated for Meghan and Harry's son, who will simply be known as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

It might not be that simple a name compared to most people, but as far as the Royal Family goes, this is as simple as it gets. Archie won't even have the 'His Royal Highness' in his name because the Queen chose not to give it to him. It's in the Queen's power to give and take titles away, and she most likely respected Harry's wishes to leave his son without any royal titles.

Relying on his grandfather for a title

Archie doesn't have a royal title in his name at the moment, and if he wants one in the future, he might have to rely on his grandfather. Prince Charles is set to take over on the throne, and once he does, it will be him who has the power of giving titles to people. However, if Archie grows up hoping to add a royal title to his name, he might be a little disappointed.

Charles is unlikely to want to give Archie any royal titles for a couple of reasons. Firstly his parents have taken a deliberate step back from royal duties, so Archie might not be in the position to ask for a title later in life. Secondly, Charles reportedly wants to streamline the Royal Family to a select few, and Archie probably won't feature in the picture.

Keeping his expected date quiet

To continue distancing themselves from royal protocol, Meghan and Harry kept Archie's due date to themselves. It meant people didn't really know when Meghan was going to give birth, despite how eager people were for her to introduce a new royal baby. Instead, we were left guessing when Archie would arrive, but Meghan and Harry had given a few clues to the people over the months.

They first explained that their child would be born sometime in the spring, but that still left a few months the due date could be. People got a bit closer to Archie's due date when Meghan announced in January 2019 that she was six months pregnant. That meant Archie was going to be born in April or May, but when he actually came into the world, Harry said that his son was overdue.

Was he really born when they said?

Some people wondered whether Meghan and Harry hadn't been totally honest when they revealed Archie's birth date. Meghan had been relieved of her royal duties long before she gave birth, yet there didn't appear to be a baby for her to show for it. In theory, Meghan could have gone into labor any day during the weeks she was at home.

One reason why speculation that Archie was born before the stated May 6 date was due to an ambulance that was called to Frogmore two weeks earlier. Meghan and Harry were also visited by the Queen around then too, making it seem plausible that Archie could have been born earlier. Harry also added fuel to the fire when he said, "everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks" after Archie was just a few days old.

Would Meghan have a home birth?

There were some controversies surrounding Meghan's pregnancy, and the biggest one was due to her supposed birthing plans. Meghan reportedly had no plans to give birth to her baby in the same hospital as previous royals had done. She was reportedly looking to have a home birth, where she felt more comfortable.

The public was not totally on board with this plan however, because it would mean they wouldn't get to see pictures of Archie just hours after his birth. Meghan had no plans to walk out of the hospital just a couple of hours after giving birth just to show her baby off to the press. Instead, she wanted to take her time and introduce Archie when she and Harry felt the time was right.

The plan didn't stay the same

Although it was rumored that Meghan wanted a home birth, ultimately she did have to give birth at the hospital. Things didn't work out, and Meghan was brought to the Portland hospital in London where baby Archie was delivered as people around the country were still asleep. Meghan was in good company at the Portland hospital as Sarah Ferguson also gave birth to her children there.

The Duchess of Sussex's stay in the hospital was short, and she had given birth to Archie before anyone from the press had heard a peep. Luckily for Meghan and Harry, Archie wasn't waiting around once he decided it was time to come out and meet his parents. Unlike Princess Diana and Kate, Meghan didn't have to stand in front of the hospital while everyone took pictures of her hours after going into labor.

Not meeting expectations

There was no rush for Meghan and Harry to introduce Archie to the world, and instead, they wanted to spend as much time with their son as possible. As far as the royal couple seemed to be concerned, Archie was their son, and everyone else could wait to meet him when they were ready. Unfortunately for the couple, things just don't work that way in the Royal Family.

Things were expected of them, and in this scenario, the couple was going to have to introduce Archie sooner rather than later. A couple of days after Archie was born, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to invite a select group of reporters to take the first official photographs of baby Archie. It was the moment people had been waiting for.

It wasn't just the media kept waiting

You might have thought that being the Queen would have earned her special viewing privileges when meeting Archie, but that wasn't the case. The Queen had to wait to meet Archie, just like the rest of us. Meghan and Harry kept to themselves in the first couple of days with their newborn, which is totally understandable. After all, once Archie was shown to the public, he would no longer just be their little secret.

In fact, before Archie was introduced to the world's media, the only person he met other than his parents was Meghan's mother, Doria. Doria was present at the birth, so had already met her grandson while the Queen and Prince Phillip had to wait to say hello. While Archie might have been the Queen's eighth great-grandchild, it was clear she was still very happy to meet him.

His choice of nationalities

As soon as Prince Harry began to date Meghan Markle, there was immediate criticism from some because she was an American. It appeared that certain members of the British public were not happy with Harry dating someone from across the pond. Despite this level of criticism, the couple was clearly madly in love and didn't care if their relationship was popular or not.

When Meghan married Prince Harry, that made her the first person from the United States to marry into the Royal Family. Because Archie's parents both come from different countries, it means he holds dual nationality. That means he can hold either an American or British passport, or both if he wants. He gets to enjoy the best of both worlds and could find himself living a transatlantic lifestyle in the future.

A chilled out little guy

One problem some new parents can find is that their child doesn't settle well to life in the early stages. Sleepless nights are common as children go through teething problems and pick up little bugs that prevent them from sleeping well. Even though Meghan and Harry hadn't had any children of their own before Archie, were sure the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge let them know what they were in for.

Despite the possible sleepless nights, Prince Harry said that Archie was actually quite a calm baby. His parents will have been hoping their son stayed like this following his birth, but Harry was speaking only a few days after Archie was born. For all we know, Archie now doesn't give his parents a moment of peace, but we're sure he's lovely.

Hair just like his dad

In the lead up to Archie's birth, people wondered if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's kid would have the same color hair as his father. After all, it's one of the things that Harry's famous for. When the first photos of Archie emerged, it was clear that he would be following in his father's footsteps in the hair department.

From his early newborn photos, we could see a little hint of red hair in his eyebrows, and that seems to be getting stronger as the months pass. While Archie is following in his father's footsteps in the hair department, his parents will be hoping he won't be as much of a rogue as Harry was. Prince Harry was known for being a bit of a wild child during his youth, and his parents will be hoping Archie isn't the same.

Getting the place decorated for Archie's arrival

In the build-up to Archie's birth, his parents wanted to make sure their home was as perfect as it could before their new arrival. That meant decorating Frogmore Cottage from top to bottom, and the royal couple had a team working around the clock to make the transformation happen.

Meghan and Harry were seemingly determined to raise Archie in a place that felt like their own, so they gave the place a new lease of life. It also meant a nursery was created for Archie, and in typical Meghan and Harry fashion, this wasn't what most people would expect. Instead of the traditional blue for a boy, the couple decided against color altogether and just went for a simple monochrome theme.

Keeping his godparents a secret

There was a ton of speculation about pretty much everything that could possibly affect Archie's life, before he was even born. One thing people were left wondering was who the new addition to the Royal Family's godparents were going to be. Because of his parent's celebrity connections, several names were mentioned as candidates for Archie's godparents. Names like Jessica Mulroney, Serena Willams, and George Clooney were all mentioned as potential candidates.

In classic Meghan and Harry fashion, the couple decided they would rather keep this detail of Archie's life to themselves. While there is no official confirmation of Archie's godparents, it's thought that Harry's former nanny and minder are prime contenders. Another name thought to be in the running is Harry's long-time friend Charlie van Straubenzee.

Where Archie fits in the throne picture

When it comes to the Royal Family, it really matters when you were born and who your parents were. Because Prince William was Charles' firstborn, that makes him the king in waiting. Harry, on the other hand, is Charles' second son, and is highly unlikely to ever sit on the throne, especially now that William has his own family.

William's firstborn, Prince George, is next in line after his father, but where does Archie fit into all of this. Prince Harry currently sits at sixth in line to sit on the throne, but he was once third in line before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started their family. Archie is behind his father in the line of succession and is the seventh in line for the throne.

A future fashion influencer

The Royal Family is big business when it comes to fashion, and people want to get their hands on whatever they see people from the monarchy wearing. Kate Middleton has seen dresses she wore in public become sellouts for retailers, while fellow royals Meghan, George, and Charlotte have also boosted sales figures. All it takes is for a member of the Royal Family to step out wearing some of your clothes, and people go crazy for them.

The same is expected of Archie, and even in his first official photograph, people couldn't get enough of what he was wearing. Or we should say, what the infant son of Prince Harry was draped in. People wanted to know where they could get hold of that shawl, and according to a royal expert, Archie wore something by GH Hurt and Son.

Keeping Archie behind closed doors

People hoped that as soon as Archie was born, they were going to see a lot of the young royal. After all, they had been waiting for Harry to start his own family for ages, and now that he had, they wanted to see as much as possible. However, it became clear in the weeks and months following Archie's birth that he wasn't going to be paraded around.

Instead of getting more opportunities to see Archie, it seemed as though people had fewer as Meghan opted to stay at home instead. Of course, she was on maternity leave, so she was not obliged to partake in royal duties, so she chose not to. Then, when Meghan made an appearance at Trooping the Color, it was thought she would bring Archie with her, but she left him safe at home.

Keeping the media at bay for the christening

When it comes to a Royal Family christening, no one outside the monarchy really knows what goes on. The media has never been invited to come along, and that was the same for Archie's christening too. However, the media is often allowed to come to the venue where the christening is being held and take pictures from afar.

That was not the case for Archie's christening, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex put a ban on the media. Unless you were invited to the christening, you were not going to be attending the service. The only person permitted to take photographs was the one commissioned by Harry and Meghan, who took the official photographs that were released to the media after the event.

Keeping to some traditions

Although Harry and Meghan have seemingly tried their best to steer themselves away from Royal Family traditions, they haven't completely turned their backs on them. One tradition the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were willing to stick with was the gown that royal babies always wear when they are christened.

This gown that Archie is wearing dates all the way back to the 1800s, and it was originally commissioned by Queen Victoria. The legendary monarch wanted the gown for the christening of her firstborn, and since then, it has been a tradition for royal babies to wear it. The gown is very old, and so a replica had to be made to protect the precious antique outfit. Since 2000, royal babies have been wearing the replica to save the original from getting damaged.

Protecting Archie from the media

Although he might be one of the most famous babies in the world, you wouldn't know it because the general public has barely seen Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. It will be a full year since he was born in May 2020, yet Archie has only appeared in a handful of public appearances in that time. It's clear that his parents have made the decision to give Archie as much privacy as they can, even though they are part of a hugely famous family.

His parents seem to be much more comfortable keeping Archie shielded from the media spotlight, and maintaining some form of normality in his life. This constant media attention appears to be a large part of why Meghan and Harry are choosing to take a big step back from their public duties.

A family day out at the polo

Of course, while Archie hasn't made an awful lot of public appearances, he still has made one or two. One of the most memorable appearances for Archie came during the summer of 2019 when he stepped out with his mom to support his dad playing polo. Prince Harry was playing the sport against his brother William, so it was a good opportunity for the whole family to bond.

Archie was surrounded by his cousins on the sidelines as they ran around the field while their fathers played polo. With Arche being so young, he spent the afternoon in his mother's arms, although even that drew some criticism. People accused Meghan of holding Archie in a strange way, with some even claiming the new mother didn't know what she was doing.

Rubbing shoulders with the stars

One of the roles of the Royal Family is to socialize with many of the famous faces across the world. Members of the Royal Family have met Hollywood stars, religious leaders, and political juggernauts, and it's all in a day's work for them. Over the years, William and Kate have rubbed shoulders with plenty of famous people, including the former president Barack Obama.

While the future king may have a few celebrity contacts, we're sure Meghan and Harry have just a few more. Thanks to her time spent in Hollywood, Meghan has already made a ton of connections with the A-listers of this world. That means Archie gets to meet these famous people too, and he has already rubbed shoulders with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Serena Williams, George Clooney, and Ellen Degeneres.

Traveling all over the world

Young Archie seems to be living the high life already, and he hasn't even turned one-year-old yet. He has been spending time with the most famous people in the world, and the young royal has also traveled the world with his parents. Archie has already visited more countries than some people manage in their whole lifetimes.

He joined his parents on vacation in 2019 when they went to both Nice and Ibiza, but that's not all. The young royal has also accompanied his parents on their trip to Africa when they did their royal tour. Then Archie was brought to Canada, so he could see yet another continent. His stay in Canada has lasted longer than first anticipated after his parents decided to quit their royal duties while across the Atlantic Ocean.

Finding his voice in Africa

While Archie accompanied his parents on their royal tour of Africa, he didn't actually get to see his dad that much. His parents were visiting some dangerous places for children during their tour, so it was decided that Archie and Meghan would stay in safety. That left Prince Harry to go out and do the visits, while mom and son chilled out in safety.

Harry wasn't willing to put his family in any danger, but during this trip, there were also rumors that the family might be moving to Africa. That is because Harry explained that Archie had really "found his voice" during their trip to Africa. Not only was Archie becoming more vocal, but Harry reported that he was bouncing up and down like never before.

The royal nickname

You might think that with so many names in a member of the Royal Family's title, the monarchy would be against the idea of nicknames. On the contrary, it probably makes things a lot easier for everyone if they can shorten those titles to just a couple of syllables if possible. We have learned that Archie has already gained a couple of nicknames, and he's not even a year old yet.

Reports claim that Meghan has been heard calling Archie 'Bubba' in the past, so it seems that might be one nickname that might stick. Meghan has also reportedly been heard calling Archie 'Little Pumpkin' so it seems she has a choice. Other nicknames in the Royal Family include Gan-Gan for the Queen, and 'Lottie' for Princess Charlotte.

Archie meeting snow for the first time

Kids in the United Kingdom don't get snow as often as they 'd like, which means they barely get any snow days during the winter. It's a shame because playing in the snow is a blast, so kids just have to enjoy it twice as much when it does finally fall from the sky. Archie didn't hang around in the United Kingdom to find snow though, he went to one of the snowiest countries in the world to experience it.

While Archie and his parents were on vacation in Canada, he encountered his first experience with snow. Prince Harry claimed that Archie loved playing in the snow, and he thought it was "brilliant." Maybe Archie can be the first member of the Royal Family to win a medal at the Olympics for snowboarding if he continues loving snow.

Learning what he likes

As Archie is so young, he hasn't yet had the chance to experience everything. That isn't stopping him from trying, according to his mom, who says her son is "into everything." It seems Archie has a natural curiosity, and he just wants to find out about anything and everything possible. There is still so much in this world that Archie doesn't know…

But if he keeps trying to find out about it all at the rate he's going, it won't be long before he does. Meghan explained that her son loves everything while making her first appearance since quitting her royal duties. The happy couple was in the United Kingdom to finish off their final commitments to the Royal Family, and they seemed to be in high spirits.

Keeping Archie back in Canada

When Meghan and Harry stepped foot back in the United Kingdom, young Archie didn't come with his parents. Instead, Archie remained behind in Canada, and this upset quite a lot of royal fans. Not only did it mean the public didn't get to see Archie once more, but it also meant his family didn't get to see him either.

Kids change a lot at that young age, and Archie hasn't been in the United Kingdom since November 2019. That's a long time in the life of an infant, and his family must be wondering what he looks like. Some people felt it was wrong of Meghan and Harry to be keeping their child from their relatives, especially the Duke of Edinburgh, who has been in ill health recently.

Archie could be getting a little brother or sister

While his parents go off around the world leaving him behind, in the future, Archie might have a younger sibling to keep him company. Prince Harry explained in an interview with Vogue that he and Meghan wanted to give Archie a little brother or sister for company. They did admit that they would only be adding one more child to their family though, because they were aware of the environmental impact having more would have.

It's a very responsible mentality to take, although Harry did not give an indication of when we were likely to see another addition to his family. For now, it seems as though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very happy with how their lives are going, so they are in no rush to change things.

Harry and Meghan going quiet

Now that Harry and Meghan are essentially leaving the Royal Family behind, it means we are going to see much less from this popular couple. Finding new information about them and Archie in the future is going to be down to the couple and whether they decide to share that or not. They won't be obliged to make public appearances like they were as members of the Royal Family, and people aren't going to know much about their business.

It seems this is the way that Meghan and Harry have chosen to love their lives, and we can't say we blame them. You only get one life, so it's important to make the best of it. While the rumors of what Meghan and Harry are doing may continue, it's unlikely we'll hear from them to confirm or deny them going forward.

Where Does Baby Sussex Stand in Line for the Throne

Source: https://www.teddyfeed.com/trending/all-the-details-about-the-royal-baby/