This is why Archie Harrison has a different surname to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Words by Maisie Bovingdon 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, into the world on May 6, but the family of three made their public appearance as a trio, and announced their son's name, two days later.

There has been a lot of speculation over baby Sussex's name, with some saying Archie is an acronym of Meghan's real name Rachel, while Harrison is meant to stand for Harry's son.

But then there's the question surrounding Archie's surname. Prior to Archie's birth Sussex Royal's Instagram account addressed him as 'Baby Sussex', and it was believed that would be the surname he would take. So why is he a Mountbatten-Windsor and not Sussex?

Answer: It's to do with his royal title.

Royal tradition has seen Prince Harry and Prince William take the title of their father's Dukedom Wales when they were children, although this changed for William and his children when he married Kate Middleton, and the entire family took the surname Cambridge after his Dukedom.

Archie - who is seventh in line to take the throne - bucked the trend because he doesn't have a royal title of His Royal Highness, which means he has to take the royal family's official surname of Mountbatten-Windsor, the Mirror Online has reported.

The Queen could have given Archie the three initials HRH to add to his name, but didn't, and if a royal descendant doesn't take His or Her Royal Highness automatically use Mountbatten-Windsor.

While Harry has kept the surname Sussex, which the former Suits actress has also adopted, Meghan is still known by her maiden name Markle.

Glad we cleared that up!