06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Heartbreaking reason why Harry and Meghan ditched rare Scottish title for son Archie
Young Prince Archie celebrates his sixth birthday today and he would have been known by another noble name, were it not for a heartbreaking reason, which reportedly left his parents concerned
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex turned down the a Scottish title for their son, Prince Archie, due to concerns he might be subject to bullying or unfortunate nicknames.
The young prince, who is celebrating his sixth birthday today, was almost named the Earl of Dumbarton, a title which has not been used since the mid-1700s.
However, a source claimed that both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle balked at the prospect of using the title of Scottish nobility over fears it could be a source of ridicule and name-calling.
The insider told The Telegraph: "They didn't like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word 'dumb' [and] they were worried about how that might look." Another insider commented: "It wasn't just Meghan who pointed out the potential pitfalls, it also bothered Harry."
The Collins Dictionary defines 'dumb' as an adjective meaning: "If you call a person dumb, you mean that they are stupid or foolish."
The title Earl of Dumbarton was initially established in the Peerage of Scotland in March 1675 for George Douglas, the Marquess of Douglas's son and the Earl of Selkirk's younger brother, in recognition of his military service during the Franco-Dutch War. Lord Dumbarton also held the title Lord Douglas of Ettrick.
He was married to Anne Douglas, the inaugural Countess of Dumbarton, who was Catherine Fitzroy, Duchess of Northumberland's sister. After the death of their sole child, the second Earl who died unmarried, both titles ceased to exist in January 1749.
It would not be until May 2018 – 269 years and four months later – that the honour would be resurrected in the UK Peerage by the late Queen Elizabeth II as one of two subsidiary titles bestowed to Harry when he married Meghan.
However, when the couple renounced their roles as senior royals, there was a consensus to cease using HRH, which denotes Her/His Royal Highness. However, they continue to carry the titles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The pair were stripped of the HRH designations upon relinquishing their duties as working royals in 2020, leading them to leave Britain, initially for Canada before settling in the US. Although their titles remain intact, the usage has been curtailed.
This topic is currently a point of contention, particularly about Meghan's private implementation of the HRH title, evidenced during her exchange with an American entrepreneur. The Duchess was accused of being "crass" when, during a podcast hosted by Jamie Kern Lima, she offered a gift basket to the host with a card bearing the words "With Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex".
According to Jamie, she was "super-stressed" when Meghan brightened her day with a surprise visit, bringing along ice cream and "home made strawberry sauce".
