Did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Find a Way to Honor Princess Diana with Baby Archie’s Name?

The name Archie could be a nod to one of Princess Diana’s ancestors

Rachel DeSantis

and Erin Hill

May 08, 2019 05:01 PM

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may have included a special nod to Princess Diana in their newborn son’s name.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born on Monday, and the couple revealed his name just two days later. While part of his name has an obvious connection to the royal family (Harrison means “son of Harry” and the surname Mountbatten-Windsor belongs to all the children and descendants of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip), Archie is a bit of a mystery.

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But it seems the baby boy’s first name could share a connection to Diana’s ancestor, Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll.

The earl lived from 1629 to 1685, and was a Scottish Protestant leader executed for opposing the Roman Catholic James II.

The moniker was a surprising choice for the couple, as British oddsmakers’ top picks for potential names included more traditional options like Arthur, James, Philip and Albert.

Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty

Royal fans also speculated that the name Spencer was in contention as a tribute to Diana, as it was her maiden name.

Diana’s sons have continued to keep her memory alive since her 1997 death, with Prince William naming his 4-year-old daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

Press Association via AP

RELATED: See How Baby Sussex’s Debut Compares to When Princess Diana Introduced Prince Harry to the World

Harry and Meghan, meanwhile, shared how they plan to make sure Diana’s legacy lives on when they sat down for a joint interview after their engagement in 2017, with Harry saying he knew his mom would have loved his now-wife.

“They’d be thick as thieves, without question,” he said. “I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, so excited for me. But I think she would have been best friends with Meghan.”

RELATED: Prince Harry Has ‘So Much of Diana in Him’: ‘She’d Be the Most Incredible Grandmother’

To keep his mother “with us on this crazy journey together,” as Harry said, he proposed with a ring that includes two diamonds from Diana’s personal collection, as well as a stone from Botswana, where the two traveled early in their relationship (William proposed to Kate Middleton with Diana’s engagement ring in 2010).

Tim Graham/Getty

Meghan noted that keeping Diana close to their hearts during their engagement was important to her too.

“Not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us,” she said.

RELATED: Prince Harry Says Princess Diana and Meghan Markle Would Have Been ‘Thick as Thieves’

When the time came for Meghan to walk down the aisle, her bouquet included a special tribute: Forget-Me-Nots, Diana’s favorite flowers.

According to the palace, the use of the Forget-Me-Nots was intentional to honor Diana’s memory on the couple’s wedding day.

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Diana & Her Sons

23 featured stories since

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