How Prince Harry’s Son Baby Archie Could Become A Prince, Earl Or Baron

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, is the newest addition to the royal family. But unlike his first cousins Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, Baby Archie does not have a royal title.

But there’s actually a reason why the newborn doesn’t have one. Royal family rules say that only the children and grandchildren of the reigning monarch automatically become a prince or princess upon birth. Thus, Prince Harry, as Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchild, is a prince but Baby Archie, Her Majesty’s great-grandchild, is not.

This also means that Prince William’s children were not supposed to have royal titles. However, Queen Elizabeth intervened and made changes so they can have one.

The monarch offered to do the same for Baby Archie, but Prince Harry and Meghan declined. After all, royal titles mean little to a newborn anyway. In addition, the royal couple repeatedly stressed that they’d prefer Archie to live a simpler and quieter life away from the royal spotlight.

But that doesn’t mean that Baby Archie won’t be getting a royal title at all. In fact, it will definitely arrive in due time, according to royal experts.

This will happen when Queen Elizabeth II steps down and Prince Charles becomes king. By that time, Baby Archie will be a monarch’s grandchild and will be qualified to have a royal title so he can become a prince.

“As the grandchildren of the Sovereign they have the right to be upgraded to the style of His or Her Royal Highness,” Majesty magazine managing editor Joe Little told People. “But that begs a question of whether Harry and Meghan want that.”

But if Baby Archie requests for a title before his grandfather ascends the throne, there are a number of options available for Meghan and Prince Harry. After all, royal family rules say that a duke’s first son is “permitted to use one of his father’s lesser titles,” and Harry has a couple of those that he can pass on to Archie.

Should Archie choose to, he can be called Baron Kilkeel. The title was given to Harry by Her Majesty last year. Another option will be the title Earl of Dumbarton, a title that was also given by the Queen to Harry.