Prince Harry and Meghan Markle introduced their beautiful baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world on Wednesday, but his name announcement left many fans of the royal family scratching their heads about where the surname 'Mountbatten' came from. In fact, Harry and Meghan are paying tribute to the Prince's grandfather, Prince Philip, who brought the surname into the royal family after marrying the Queen.
Meet Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
In 1947, Prince Philip of Greece was naturalised as a British citizen and became Philip Mountbatten instead while serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. The surname 'Mountbatten-Windsor' has subsequently been given to descendants of the Queen and Prince Philip who are not future Sovereigns, which is why Prince Charles doesn't have the surname himself. According to the royal family's official website, it was declared in the Privy Council that "the Queen's descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor". As such, although Prince Harry has previously used 'Wales' as his surname thanks to his father's title as the Prince of Wales, choosing the Mountbatten-Windsor surname is likely to be a touching nod to his grandfather and the royal family.
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Watch Harry and Meghan with baby Archie
Harry and Meghan announced little Archie's name on their official Twitter account with a statement which read: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased to announce they have named their first born child: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. This afternoon Their Royal Highnesses introduced Her Majesty The Queen to her eighth great-grandchild at Windsor Castle. The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duchess’ mother were also present for this special occasion." The message was accompanied by a snap of the Queen and Philip meeting their eighth grandson, who is wrapped up in a blanket in Meghan's arms, while her mum Doria Ragland and Prince Harry look on at the lovely moment. Speaking about their son, Meghan said: "It's magic, it's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy. He has the sweetest temperament, he's really calm."
READ: Why Prince Harry and Meghan's son Archie doesn't have a royal title yet