Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby was born on May 6, 2019 at 5:26 am.  Two days later, they announced his name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.  Prior to the birth and name announcement, there had been rumors, votes, and speculation on the name choices, the due date, and how the baby would be born.

Some of the baby names that were voted for were Arthur, Alexander, and James. Many also speculated that they would choose Spencer, after the late Princess Diana’s brother. Girls’ names discussed were Elizabeth, Diana, and Grace. Diana was at the top of the list. 

Since no one knew the baby’s sex, there was also a lot of speculation about that as well. According to Bravo, the baby shower was filled with many little pink details such as pink cherry blossoms and pink cotton candy. From that, many believed the baby was going to be a girl.

The couple told people beforehand that they would not be following recent royal traditions–namely the one in which the couple presents the baby just hours after it’s born, said Today. This upset some reporters and fans across the globe who wanted to celebrate the big moment.

Another element of the birth that was kept secret was whether the baby would be born at home or at the hospital. Meghan and Harry decided to keep the arrival private. CNN said that the couple would share the wonderful news after they had celebrated it as a family. CNN also said that people outside of the royal family would know when Meghan went into labor, as is tradition. However, when it was announced that she was in labor, she had actually given birth hours earlier.  

Archie is 7th in line for the throne, following after his father, Prince Harry, who is 6th ins succession. With this child’s birth, Prince Andrew and each of his daughters are bumped down a number in the line.

It is because Archie is not in succession for the throne that the couple chose a name outside of their family trees. This was another royal tradition that Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex didn’t follow through with.

Archie is also of mixed race, since Meghan’s father is Caucasian and her mother is African American. This will be the first mixed-race heir since Queen Charlotte’s children in the 1800s.

Additionally, Archie is able to be an American citizen.

From Meghan’s elaborate baby shower, to the Instagram announcement of the birth; from the atypical wait to meet him to his non-traditional name, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex have shown that they were going to do this their way with little regard to the norms of the Palace.