Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced the surprising name for their newborn son on Wednesday, Archie Harrison Montbatten-Windsor, with a stunning black and white photo on Instagram. The image saw the royal baby in the arms of his mum, while dad Harry, great-grandparents the Queen and Prince Philip and grandmother Doria Ragland all gazed adoringly at little Archie.
© Photo: PAArchie Harrison was introduced on Wednesday
But according to photography expert Glenn Gratton, there may be a clever reason why Meghan opted to release a black and white photo to announce her son's moniker to the world. "She would have put a lot of thought into the photos," photographer Glenn told the MailOnline. "It's the first picture of the baby and that's going to be Googled for years and she wants to make sure it's right. She would have thought it all through, long and hard."
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He added: "It is very complimentary on skin tones - take someone who is red-headed, or pale skinned - it is flattering for them. It just looks beautiful. It's very forgiving." Glenn also said that while black and white is "in vogue", it could also be a way for Meghan to distance her photos from the "high contrast, filtered images" that dominate Instagram feeds.
This isn't the first time Prince Harry and Meghan have used black and white photography to mark a special occasion. The royal couple made a statement when they released two of the three official engagement photos in black and white. They also chose some colourless images to mark their wedding day, later choosing one of them standing with their backs to the camera as their first Christmas card.
© Photo: PAMeghan and Harry on their wedding day
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Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan revealed baby Archie to the world on Wednesday after enjoying two days of privacy as a new family of three. On Monday afternoon, the happy news was officially announced on Twitter and Instagram with a statement that read: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs this morning. The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth." The statement concluded: "Her Royal Highness and the baby are both doing well."
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