Baby Archie's Royal Title Isn't The One You Were Expecting Him To Have

Now that Meghan Markle has given birth to her first baby with Prince Harry, and he's officially been given a first, middle and last name, gossip-makers and odds experts can maybe finally take a lunch break. But fans are onto the next question: Why isn't the royal bundle of joy inheriting "prince" status? After all, he's the son of a prince and a duchess, and his grandma is the queen. So what is Archie's royal title? Don't worry, because Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's baby will still be addressed in a formal way — just not the one you were expecting.

As Cosmopolitan reported, it has been confirmed that Harry's boy will not, formally, be a titled prince. The magazine explained that this is due to Prince Harry being the younger son, and not the future Prince of Wales or eventual heir to the throne. In fact, Prince Harry is currently sixth in line to take the throne, as TIME reported, with his newborn son, Archie, taking seventh place behind him.

Instead, Archie's royal title will be "Master Archie," as confirmed by Daily Mail's Royal Correspondent Rebecca English.

The newspaper noted that King George V, Harry's great-great grandpa, made up the current rules by limiting the numbers of titles that can be given out within the royal family. The result is young Archie cannot be a "His Royal Highness," or "HRH," the fanciest of fancy titles.

Interestingly enough, Cosmo added that there is an exception to this rule. The exception is that Queen Elizabeth can choose to use one of Harry's titles, Earl of Dumbarton, and re-apply it to the baby. For now it seems that Prince Harry and Markle are quite content with Archie's status, as no formal announcements regarding his title have been made.

That seems fair, considering Prince Harry confessed to wishing he had an average childhood, as newspaper The Impartial Reporter noted. Prince Harry also said in 2017 that at one point in his life, he had "wanted out" of the royal family.

There is also the aspect of privacy, something that Prince Harry and Markle have made a huge priority since their marriage in May 2018. As TIME pointed out, their decision to move away from London and to skip the typical royal traditions surrounding the birth of their child indicates they long for a life away from the spotlight, when possible.

In some ways, skipping a "prince" title allows Archie to live a royal life without the heavy burden of a significant title.

As Cosmo concluded, Meghan and Harry want to “live their lives quietly." So this explains it all. I totally get it, and I bet Archie will grow up to be awesome (his parents pride already tells me they will give him the love and attention a child craves).

Still, personally, I'd probably throw my kids a "Lady" or "Lord" prefix, if I could. If nothing else, no one would grab the wrong drink from the counter at Starbucks. Either way, Master Archie will be just fine!