It’s a Royal tradition that the parents are not allowed to discover the gender of their baby until it is born, making it a total surprise on the day. Of course, when the news emerged that Meghan Markle had successfully given birth to a baby boy, people were then able to make more targeted guesses. Although nobody fully guessed what the Royal baby would end up being called and certainly not that something had infuriated the Duke of Edinburgh.
The couple decided to name their baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, which surprised the nation. But on the whole, people were pleased to finally know the name of the latest member of the Royal Family. However, what people didn’t know was that there was a surname change drama that happened behind-the-scenes which seriously upset Prince Philip.
However, there’s a whole lot of history when it comes to surnames and the Royal Family, but it can get rather complicated and a bit sticky when you go into all the gory details. After all, a lot of people don’t even realize the Royals have a surname, and if they do, they never really know what it is.
Meghan and Harry took a couple of days to themselves before introducing Archie to the public. Mainly so that they could spend time together and let Meghan rest before the whole world wanted to see the new baby. After two days, Harry and Meghan took Archie on his obligatory visit to meet a few members of the family for the first time.
It was also the first time that the public would get a glimpse of the newest member of the Royal Family. People had been waiting for so long to meet this little baby, and now they would have that moment they had been waiting for. Among the first people to meet the Royal baby was Meghan Markle’s mom Doria Ragland, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Philip.
Royal Baby name change
Titles now seem to be an optional extra within the Royal Family these days, since some Royal parents have decided that they would rather their child does not have a Royal title. This is because they believe it helps them lead a more normal life and protects them from the limelight a bit more than if they did have a title.
However, it’s unlikely this would have been possible for Kate and William’s children, given that they are the direct descendants to the throne. As Harry is now way down the line of succession when it comes to the throne, he is able to choose whether or not his children obtain a title. Of course, it is the Queen who grants this wish.
Instead of being given a Royal title, baby Archie has been given a surname instead, which is ‘Mountbatten-Windsor.’ This surname is comprised of two different names that have entirely different backgrounds. The name ‘Mountbatten’ came from Prince Philip’s side of the family, whereas ‘Windsor’ was adopted by George V after the First World War.
This was because there were tensions with Germany following the war, and the Royal Family’s name was ‘Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,’ which originated from a powerful German dynasty. This became a problem, so it was believed to be a positive move to change it, in order for the Royal Family to maintain peace and popularity. Prince Philip adopted the surname after being naturalized into the United Kingdom, rather than simply going by Prince Philip.
The names Windsor and Mountbatten are both separate surnames, and, while the Royals can do a lot, they can’t just change their identities at the tip of a hat. Archie has both surnames as a result of the two coming together, although it can only be adopted under specific circumstances. One situation is for when members of the Royal Family have not been awarded a Royal title such as His/Her Royal Highness, Prince, Princess, and so on.
This means they need something else to identify them. This is particularly important for some female descendants who would marry, as they need to use this for legal purposes. Although it would ultimately be changed with the ceremony. However, this was not a rule until the Duke of Edinburgh said his piece.
It’s a commonly known fact that married couples will disagree or argue every now and then; it’s a by-product of being around someone all the time. However, the Queen had done something without fundamentally agreeing on it with her husband first, and it was something that directly affected him. That may not seem like a big deal now, but in 1952, it was very significant. The fact the Queen had gone ahead and made sure that Prince Philip could not carry on his family name had enraged him.
