Meghan Markle Reveals What She and Prince Harry Almost Named Archie

04/19/2022 11:20 am EDT

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019. Almost three years later, Markle has shed some light on the process that she and Harry went through while naming their son. According to PEOPLE, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex almost gave baby Archie a different name. 

Markle and Harry appeared at the Invictus Games, which kicked off on Saturday in The Hague, The Netherlands. As a part of their trip, Markle spoke with some of those who attended the event. One of those individuals was Sherry McBain, who told the PA News Agency that her wife Mandy bonded with the duchess over their children. During their conversation, Mandy shared that her son's name is Harrison, which is Archie's middle name. Apparently, Markle explained that she and her husband were initially torn over whether to use "Harrison" as their son's first or middle name. 

"[Meghan] was like 'Harrison, that's Archie's middle name', and Mandy was like 'Yeah, I know,'" Sherry said. "They were just having a chat because Harry and Meghan couldn't decide between Archie and Harrison for the first name." PEOPLE noted that Archie is a shortened version of Archibald, and it's a name that surprised many when Markle and Harry announced that it was their son's name. "Harrison" is all too fitting for their son, as it's a patronymic name meaning "son of Henry" or "son of Harry." When the couple announced in 2020 that their organization would be called "Archewell," they shared how it ties back to their son's name. 

"Before SussexRoyal came the idea of 'arche' — the Greek word meaning 'source of action,'" the couple said at the time. "We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son's name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters. Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon. We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right."

Harry and Markle welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet, in 2021. Her name also has some close ties to the royal family. Her first name is a nickname that was typically used for Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The couple gave their daughter the middle name of "Diana," an obvious nod to the prince's late mother. 

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