Hello, royal watchers. This is a special edition of the newsletter following the birth of the first child for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox. The arrival of any child tends to instill some common and time-honoured reactions — happiness for the new parents, hope for the future and so on. But the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan's first son, Archie Harrison, has upended common and time-honoured traditions surrounding a royal birth. And the strongest example yet of that is the child's name, which caught royal watchers and bettors off guard (more on that a little later). While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been making it clear for quite a while that they intend to do things their way, and said they wanted the arrival of their baby to be private, no other high-profile royal baby has had quite this introduction to the world. Today's careful and controlled unveiling of the child in the ornate and storied St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle was reportedly before a select few cameras — including one from a U.S. network, something that has been raising eyebrows for the U.K. media, but is perhaps not that surprising, given Meghan's American heritage. It was all certainly in keeping with the desire Harry and Meghan seem to have to strike a path quite different from that of other high-profile revelations of a newborn royal — including Harry himself — where considerably less historic hospital steps and a doorway were the backdrop before a wall of cameras. It was just the latest example of the Sussex way of doing all things royal, right down to the official notice of the baby's arrival. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were introduced to the newborn son of The Duke & Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle. Ms Doria Ragland was also present. The Duke & Duchess of Sussex are delighted to announce that they have named their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. pic.twitter.com/PaHVhPlUl5 —@RoyalFamily "The notice was very inclusive of the newborn's family on both sides," said Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal author and historian. "In addition to members of the Royal Family, the announcement stated that Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, is overjoyed at the arrival of her first grandchild." The notice went on to mention Harry's aunts and uncle on the side of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex clearly want to emphasize the significance of Diana's and Meghan's families in the baby's life in addition to his royal connections," said Harris. But the official notice was as noteworthy for what wasn't included. Unlike previous high-profile royal births, there's been no official confirmation of where it occurred or the medical staff involved. It's been reported it was at the private Portland Hospital in London, which has been favoured by celebrities and other members of the Royal Family, including Sarah Ferguson, for the births of her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie. When the notice for Meghan and Harry's baby was finally posted on the easel in front of Buckingham Palace, it was in keeping with a particular tradition dating to the 18th century. But in ways, it seemed almost like an anachronism. It certainly didn't tell anyone keeping up with these things anything they didn't already know. "The announcement 'It's a boy' on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram page, however, makes clear that this is very much a 21st-century royal birth, where the news spreads quickly on social media," said Harris. Given how things have unfolded in the baby's first few days, there's every reason to think Instagram may offer the best view — albeit carefully curated and controlled —into what his life is really like for the next few years. Royal births have been drawing public attention and scrutiny for generations. Our friends at CBC Archives have put together this look back at 70 years of reporting on the much-anticipated arrivals. What about grandpa on mom's side? Amid all the attention on the new arrival, there was another noticeable absence — any official reference to his grandfather on his mother's side. Perhaps it's not that surprising, given the angst and turmoil there seems to be in the relationship between Meghan and her father, Thomas Markle, which hit a fever pitch just before the wedding last year. There's also no evidence that Harry has even met his father-in-law, so the continued and apparent distance would seem to show no signs of imminent change. What's in this royal name? The new baby's full name is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via Associated Press) Well, that was something of a surprise. In the royal name game, it's safe to say Archie Harrison wasn't riding high on any lists for those speculating outside palace walls about what Harry and Meghan might call their first child. Unless you consider that Harry and Meghan have been doing things their own way all along, so maybe it's not that big a surprise (see above). Certainly, the baby's name has no echoes of multi-barrelled traditional names of past generations within the Royal Family. Archie and Harrison also didn't figure anywhere near the top of the bookies' lists, which had been leaning lately toward the likes of Alexander, Arthur or Philip. But Archie has some interesting tentacles of meaning and popularity. It's a shortform of Archibald, a name royal expert Harris says was popular in Scotland in the 19th century. Then it faded from view in many ways, only to have something of a resurgence in recent years, reaching No. 18 in England and No. 21 in Scotland and Wales in 2016. "So Harry and Meghan have chosen quite a trendy baby name," Harris said. Of course, Archie also has a broad resonance in pop culture — the Archie comics come to mind. Various baby name sites suggest Archie could mean brave or bold.<doc-sep>The royal family has revealed Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's baby is named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The first photos of Archie were released on Thursday morning (NZT). He was born on Tuesday (NZT), making him two days old when he was revealed to the world. Photos posted to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram account show the proud parents introducing him to Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip. "This afternoon Their Royal Highnesses introduced Her Majesty The Queen to her eighth great-grandchild at Windsor Castle," they wrote on Instagram. "The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duchess' mother were also present for this special occasion."<doc-sep>Everything's Archie again. British royals the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle, announced on Wednesday that their son's name is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. It didn't take long for one of the more famous pop-culture Archies to respond. "I'm baby," the official Archie Comics Twitter account tweeted out after the name was announced. i'm baby — Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) May 8, 2019 The "I'm baby" meme has a creepy origin. It comes from a text conversation between a mother and her daughter who was hiding from a home invader. (The girl wasn't hurt.) But it's since been used in more lighthearted ways, and Archie Comics fans understood the reference. "Prince Archie of Riverdale," wrote one Twitter user. Prince Archie of Riverdale — Allison the Disney Diva saw Endgame and is sad (@Daviesallison1A) May 8, 2019 Do you feel baby that Archie stole Jughead's crown? — Cameron Williams (@Wasgo) May 8, 2019 Welcome Archie! We have been friends for many years. Now you are royally loved. — Deborah T Gilmore (@deborahgilmore) May 8, 2019 "Archie is an icon, and we're honored and overjoyed to share his name with the new royal baby!" Archie Comics CEO and publisher Jon Goldwater said in a more formal statement. "Congrats to the new parents!" There are other hugely famous pop-culture Archies, of course, including Archie Bunker of All in the Family fame. Stifle yourself, Edith. Those were the days. "Good to know that in 50 years, he'll be telling the Meathead to move out of his house," joked one Twitter user. Good to know that in fifty years, he'll be telling the Meathead to move out of his house.#ArchieWindsor#ArchieBunker https://t.co/7H38CGdZ9U — 𝕴𝖈𝖊 𝕮𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒 𝕯𝖆𝖓 🍨 (@TheGiftOfMayhem) May 8, 2019 Why is Archie Bunker suddenly trending... oh wait, WRONG #Archie pic.twitter.com/h8DLW1Pmhf — Kris Gutierrez (@KrisGutierrez) May 8, 2019 That's Archie Bunker you dumb millennials. — Jay Kirell 🐠🐈🐌🐇🐸 (@JasonKirell) May 8, 2019 Can’t help but hear Archie Bunker’s voice in my head every single time I see this name. 😬 pic.twitter.com/BEOlRdugHR — Saltinmyblood (@saltinmyblood1) May 8, 2019 You know you are old when the new royal baby is called Archie and this is the first Archie that comes to mind while everyone else is thinking about the one in Riverdale. #Archie #ArchieWindsor #ArchieBunker pic.twitter.com/EDQDVkBxaE — Joana Maltez (@gatamalteza) May 8, 2019 Don't forget, there are other Archies out there, including retired NFL quarterback Archie Manning, dad of Peyton and Eli. The Mount Rushmore of Archies: Archie Bunker (All In The Family) Archie Andrews (red-headed boy who runs Riverdale) Archie Manning (New Orleans Saint QB and father of Peyton & Eli) Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (son of Prince Harry & Duchess Meghan)#RoyalBaby #babysussex — Politics & Sports (@Politix_Sports) May 8, 2019 But the creator of the Riverdale show on the CW, the series that's helped introduce red-headed Archie Andrews to a new generation, was loving the connection. 'Best. Crossover. Ever," tweeted Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, chief creative officer of Archie Comics. "Riverdale goes ROYAL."<doc-sep>Mountbatten-Windsor is the surname which was created in 1960, combining the surnames of the Queen and Prince Philip when they married. The double-barrelled name was a concession to the Duke of Edinburgh, who was said to have complained that his children would not bear his name.<doc-sep>
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, shared the news Wednesday that they named their new royal baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, hours after introducing him to the public earlier in the day. Unlike his cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — Archie will not be a prince, and will likely be referred to as Master Archie as he grows up. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s choice in name marks a step away from royal tradition and symbolizes an effort by the royal family to become modern, says Cleveland Evans, a former president of the American Name Society and psychology professor at Bellevue University. The meaning behind Archie Archie is the nickname for Archibald, a name that dates back to Middle Ages-era Scotland. Meaning “genuine” and “bold.” Archibald was an aristocratic name in Scotland, Evans says. It’s not exactly the same case with its diminutive, Archie, which is a wildly popular name in the United Kingdom, according to Evans. In 2017, Archie was no. 18 on the top 100 boys’ names in England and Wales, he says. Similar sounding names like Alfie, Charlie, Freddie and Teddy have also ranked in the top name choices on the list. “The choice definitely shows their personality, but also to a certain extent, the changes in the royal family as a whole, where things have become — especially since Princess Diana’s death — more open,” Evans says, referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “They probably want to modernize it and want the royal family to be seen as regular people, which is why they’d choose a name like Archie, which at the moment is a regular, everyday British boy’s name.” The meaning behind Harrison Archie’s second name, Harrison, which is typically used as a last name or surname, is also a bold choice for the royal couple, according to Evans. “It’s highly unique to the royal family that they would use something that is basically a surname as part of the child’s given name,” he says. The name Harrison comes from an English surname that means “son of Harry.” Harrison was no. 34 on the top 100 boys’ names for 2017 in England and Wales. In the U.S., the name has ranked at 148th among most popular male names from 2010 to 2017. Notable people named Harrison include the actor Harrison Ford, the former Beatle George Harrison and former U.S. President William Henry Harrison. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to stop at two names for the baby is also a rare choice—Archie’s prince and princess cousins each carry three names, while his father and uncle, Prince William, each have four. The practice of giving royal babies three or four names was part of a longtime tradition of memorializing or honoring others in the royal family, according to Evans. Evans says that Americans are likely to be more surprised by the choice in name than Brits, because Archie is not a popular pick in the United States. The name has not appeared in the top 1,000 popular names in any year since 2000, according to the Social Security Administration. Americans are likely to be reminded of fictional characters like Archie Bunker of the 1970s sitcom All in the Family or Archie Andrews from the Archie comics. But all told, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen a name that could help their son move easily among society’s ranks in the future, according to Evans. “It makes them a part of the general British culture in that they have picked a name which is actually popular for babies in England at the moment,” he says. Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com.