Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet: The History Behind Their Royal Names

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet now carry formal royal titles, but their names do not follow the pattern many expected from children close to the British throne.

Their full names, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, combine modern choices, family tributes, and a surname created during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Some parts have clear explanations from Harry and Meghan. Others have inspired years of interpretation because the couple never gave a complete public account.

The history becomes clearer when each part is examined separately.

Why Archie Stood Out From Traditional Royal Names

Archie was born on May 6, 2019. Two days later, Harry and Meghan announced his full name as Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor.

The choice surprised many royal watchers. Children in the main royal family often receive several names drawn from earlier monarchs or close relatives. Prince Harry’s full name is Henry Charles Albert David. King Charles III was named Charles Philip Arthur George.

Archie received two given names, and neither had a strong history among recent senior British royals.

Archie developed as a familiar form of Archibald, though it has long functioned as an independent name. Archibald has Germanic roots linked with ideas such as being genuine, bold, or brave.

The name was already popular in Britain before Archie’s birth. It also carried a familiar cultural association through Archie Andrews, the central character in Archie Comics. No verified evidence shows that the comic influenced Harry and Meghan.

The couple never publicly explained why they selected Archie. That leaves the personal reason private.

Names expert Cleveland Evans, a former president of the American Name Society, viewed the choice as part of a wider change in royal naming. He noted that Archie was already an ordinary and popular British name, unlike the older dynastic choices many people predicted. His analysis suggests that the name allowed Harry and Meghan to give their son a recognizable British identity without tying his first name to a previous monarch.

A comparison across three generations makes that change measurable. King Charles has four given names, and both of his sons also have four. William’s children each have three, while Archie and Lilibet each have two. Across the King and his seven direct descendants, the older two generations average four given names per person, compared with 2.6 among his five grandchildren. The Sussex children sit at the shortest end of that pattern.

What Harrison May Say About Prince Harry

Harrison began as an English surname meaning son of Harry or son of Henry.

That meaning led many people to view Archie’s middle name as a tribute to his father. The interpretation makes sense because Harry is a familiar form of Henry, Prince Harry’s legal first name.

Still, Harry and Meghan did not confirm that explanation when they announced the name. It remains a strong interpretation rather than a stated fact.

The contrast between Archie and Harrison made the full name distinctive. Archie sounded informal and modern. Harrison carried a traditional family meaning without repeating a royal ancestor’s exact name.

The Private Royal History Behind Lilibet

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor was born on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California. Harry and Meghan announced her birth two days later and said she would be known as Lili.

Unlike the mystery around Archie, the reason for Lilibet was stated directly. The couple said the name honored Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname was Lilibet.

The nickname began during Elizabeth’s childhood. Reports have long said she struggled to pronounce her own name when she was very young. Her family adopted her early pronunciation, and Lilibet remained a private name used by close relatives.

Prince Philip also used it for his wife. That made the name deeply personal within the family rather than a formal royal identity.

The history of the family surname shows how personal and dynastic identities can appear together in royal naming. Lilibet followed that pattern. It was a private family name placed inside a public royal line.

The Dispute Over the Queen’s Approval

The name became controversial soon after the birth announcement.

One report, citing a palace source, said Harry and Meghan had not asked Queen Elizabeth II for permission to use Lilibet. A representative for the Sussexes rejected that account and said Harry had spoken with his grandmother before the public announcement.

The representative also said the couple would not have used the name without the Queen’s support.

Those accounts differ in an important way. Informing the Queen, discussing the name, and asking formal permission are separate actions. No full transcript of the private conversation has been released.

The confirmed point is simpler. Harry and Meghan publicly said the name honored the Queen. The exact nature of the private discussion remains disputed.

Why Diana Carried a Clearer Meaning

Lilibet’s middle name has a direct and confirmed family connection.

Diana honors Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry’s mother. Diana died in Paris on August 31, 1997, when Harry was 12.

Harry and Meghan stated that the name was chosen in memory of Lilibet’s late grandmother. Prince William and Catherine made a similar choice in 2015 when they named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

The use of Diana in both names shows how the brothers preserved their mother’s name within the next generation.

What Mountbatten Windsor Connects

Both children share the surname Mountbatten Windsor.

The name comes from a 1960 decision by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. They declared that direct descendants who needed a surname would use Mountbatten Windsor.

Windsor remained the name of the royal house. Mountbatten came from Prince Philip’s family name.

The combined form applies to certain descendants of the Queen and Prince Philip. It gives Archie and Lilibet a direct naming connection to both great grandparents.

How Archie and Lilibet Became Prince and Princess

Neither child used a Prince or Princess title at birth.

Archie and Lilibet were great grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II. Under the royal rules established by King George V in 1917, that position did not automatically give them those titles.

Everything changed on September 8, 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II died and Charles became King.

Archie and Lilibet became grandchildren of the reigning monarch through Prince Harry. Under the existing rules, they became entitled to the titles Prince and Princess.

The title Princess Lilibet appeared publicly in March 2023. The Sussex family page then listed the children as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

The official line of succession places Archie sixth and Lilibet seventh. Their positions follow Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Prince Harry.

Their titles do not make them working royals. The children live primarily in the United States and do not perform official royal duties.

What Their Names Reveal

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet carry names built from different kinds of family history.

Archie was a modern choice with no confirmed royal namesake. Harrison probably points to Prince Harry, though the parents never formally said so. Lilibet directly honors Queen Elizabeth II. Diana directly honors Harry’s mother. Mountbatten Windsor connects both children to the family identity established by the late Queen and Prince Philip.

Their names stayed the same when Charles became King. Their place within the monarchy changed. That shift turned two personal birth names into the formal styles now recognized by the Royal Family: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.