baby archie harrison

Prince Harry and Meghan's son isn't the first biracial royal baby – find out who is

The Sussexes introduced their baby boy on Wednesday

Content Managing Editor
May 9, 2019

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex thrilled fans after introducing their baby boy to the world on Wednesday. And while many stated that Archie Harrison has made history as the first biracial baby to be born into the royal family in contemporary times, this is not strictly true. Lady Davina Windsor, who is 31st in line to the British throne, shares two children with her ex-husband Gary Lewis, a New Zealander of Maori descent.

The pair welcomed their first child, daughter Senna Kowhai, in June 2010 followed by their son Tāne Mahuta in May 2012. Davina and Gary married in 2004 but split last year. At the time of their wedding, Gary was the first person of known Maori descent to marry into the royal family.

WATCH Harry and Meghan introduce baby Archie to the world

Davina may be quite far down the line of succession, but she is still a potential heir given that she is a legitimate descendant of King George V. Her parents are Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester – a cousin of the Queen on her father's side – and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester.

MORE: See ALL the photos of baby Archie Harrison

Delving even further back in the royal family tree, it is possible that King George III and Queen Charlotte's 15 children were multiracial. Many historians believe that Queen Charlotte, who lived from 1744 to 1818, may have had distant African ancestry. She descended from Margarita de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman, who traced her ancestry to King Afonso III of Portugal and one of his mistresses, Madragana.

© Photo: Getty Images

Lady Davina Windsor shares two children with her ex-husband Gary Lewis

However, there is no evidence of Madragana's race and given the huge generational gap between Madragana and Charlotte – some five centuries – Charlotte's possible African ancestry is estimated to be less than one percent.

MORE: Kate corrects Prince William after awkward royal baby blunder

Harry and Meghan's baby boy Archie made his debut on Wednesday afternoon when his parents gave an interview from St George's Hall, Windsor Castle. The couple later shared a photo on Instagram of the Queen meeting her eighth great-grandchild, with the caption: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased to announce they have named their firstborn 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."

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more