Prince Archie almost had a completely different name, as his parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were initially split between two.
Born at Portland Hospital in London at the early hour of 5.26am on May 6, 2019, he was eventually christened Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, aligning with the Royal Family’s traditional surname.
Years after the birth, Meghan revealed to Invictus Games competitor Sherry McBain, 42, that they had considered both Archie and Harrison as potential first names.
During a conversation at the event in The Hague in April 2022, Meghan expressed her fondness for the name Harrison, reports the Mirror.
Sherry, from Southampton, said: “She was like ‘Harrison, that’s Archie’s middle name’, and Mandy was like ‘Yeah, I know’. They were just having a chat because Harry and Meghan couldn’t decide between Archie and Harrison for the first name.”
Meghan engaged in conversation with Sherry, who serves as a nursing officer in the RAF, during a children’s book reading session at the Invictus Games.
Sherry added: “My little boy Harrison was just over the moon that a princess has read him a story, so that went down really well with all the UK children.”
She recounted how Meghan was “really open” and “very friendly” during their interaction.
She shared: “Harrison was drawing pictures and telling her that it was a picture of a tram. I don’t think it quite looked like a tram, so she was very gracious and said that’s a brilliant tram, so he was delighted.”
Sherry, who competes in sitting volleyball and archery for Team UK, spoke highly of the Invictus Games: “It’s made a massive difference for me.
“It’s the difference in the fact that I’m still serving. I was diagnosed with delayed complex PTSD. This journey has just meant that actually I can still live a life instead of hiding, and not stepping out of the house and just being broken.”
“I owe so much to the Invictus Games and everything that it has done for me and for my family.”
The name Archie signifies “genuine”, “bold” and “brave”, with German roots. Originally a short form of Archibald, it is now often used as a standalone name.
Harrison, meaning “son of Harry”, appears to be a nod to the duke.
Archie broke into the top 10 boys’ names in England and Wales for the first time in 2020, as per the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The name Archie experienced a notable rise, climbing 10 spots from 19th to ninth.
In 2020, there were 2,944 babies named Archie, an increase from 2,544 in 2019.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle honoured the late Queen by naming their daughter, born on June 4, 2021, Lilibet “Lili” Diana. The name Lilibet is a nod to the Queen’s family nickname, while they affectionately call their daughter Lili.
