The Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn't wait long to reveal the full name of their newborn son, Archie Harrison Montbatten-Windsor. The royal couple, who welcomed their little boy on Monday, introduced him to the world on Wednesday afternoon, and a few hours later disclosed his surprising name. However, it seems Prince Harry previously dropped a subtle hint back in October, when he revealed his fondness of the name Archie. During their trip to New Zealand, the royal met a young boy in Auckland called Archie.
Prince Harry and Meghan with baby Archie
"Archie, I like that name," the royal told the schoolboy before he called his wife over to tell her the name too. Speaking to Channel 5 News, Archie Somerville-Ryan opened up about their encounter and shared: "He said, 'I like that name' or something like that [to Meghan]." Kiwi-born Archie added: "My mum said, 'Imagine if they call it Archie.' He said, 'Come on Meghan, look at these guys.' Because we had roses in the garden. And he introduced our names and things to Meghan, and kind of like nodded when they said our names."
READ: Everything we know about Prince Harry and Meghan's newborn baby
Archie's mother, Emily Somerville-Ryan, also told Newshub: "My friend Bridget said, 'Oh my goodness he was so into Archie - he's definitely going to call the baby Archie,' and I thought, 'What?'" Many royal fans were left wondering what the inspiration for the new royal baby's name had been. According to the Sun, who quotes some of Meghan's friends, it turns out that the name Archie has a special link to Meghan - as she once owned a beloved pet cat called Archie. The paper reports that Meghan's mum Doria rescued Archie and he became an important part of the household. One pal reportedly told the publication that it was no surprise she'd opted to call her new baby Archie as she'd really loved the cat.
READ: Royal correspondent reveals what it was like to meet Prince Harry and Meghan's baby
And on Wednesday, HELLO! was told by a royal source that the new parents had chosen the names because "they just like them!" The name Archie (sometimes used as a shortening of the name Archibald or Arthur) means true and bold. Archie's name was announced on Instagram alongside a lovely family photo of the newborn with his parents and great-grandparents, the Queen and Prince Philip. Meghan's mum Doria Ragland, who came to the UK from LA for her first grandchild's arrival, was also in the picture.
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