On May 6, in the early hours of the morning, the whole world took a collective breath in with the announcement that the Duchess of Sussex had gone into labor. Only a few hours later, they were finally able to breathe out; the Duchess of Sussex had been safely delivered of a 7 pound 3 ounce son at 5:26 AM, in the wee hours of the morning. The official announcement was first shared on the Sussexes Instagram account, and then, following royal tradition, posted on an easel in the front gates of Buckingham Palace. Details about the actual birth were kept under wraps and it is still not known whether the Duchess gave birth in hospital or at the couple’s new home on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Frogmore Cottage.

It was a tired, but overjoyed looking Duke that went to greet the press after the birth of his son at the mews of Windsor Castle. Talking to Associated Press journalist Alan Jones and the few cameras gathered, Prince Harry was grinning from ear to ear, happily commenting of his newborn son that “…this little things is to die for, so I’m just over the moon.” He also gushed about his wife, saying that he was “so incredibly proud of her.”

Two days following his birth, Harry and Meghan presented Baby Sussex to the world at a photo call in St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle. Baby Sussex, swaddled in a cream-colored shawl and wearing a white knit cap by royal favorite G.H. Hurt & Son, slept through his first of what one can presume to be many interviews. Meghan (in a stylish white trench dress by celebrated young designer Grace Wales Bonner) stood beside Harry, who carried Baby Archie, gazing down lovingly at her son. Meghan was very relaxed and was very clearly taken with her baby, expressing that “I have the best two guys in the world, so I’m really happy.”

Later that same day, Harry and Meghan revealed their son’s name to the world, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. His name was revealed through an official statement, captioning a black and white Instagram post of the Duke and Duchess introducing their son to Harry’s grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, as well as Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother. It is thought that the couple chose the name simply because they liked it. Archie means “bold” or “brave,” while Harrison, rather sweetly, means “son of Harry.”  

His parents declined to give him a title, and thus, he will simply be known as Master Archie. Had they accepted a title he would have been referred to as the Earl of Dumbarton, one of Harry’s subsidiary titles, or even as Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. It is thought that Harry and Meghan declined a title because they want their son to grow up with as much privacy as possible. When Archie’s grandfather, Prince Charles, ascends to the throne as king, he could become Prince Archie if he accepts the title. Archie is currently seventh in line to the British throne, following his father, his cousins, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George, his uncle, Prince William, and his grandfather, Prince Charles.

Archie is the first half-American and is thought to be the first multiracial member of the British royal family. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and the United Kingdom, as his mother is an American citizen and he was born in the United Kingdom. However, he is not the first member of the British royal family to hold dual citizenship, as his cousins Savannah and Isla Phillips, the daughters of Harry’s cousin Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne, are dual citizens of Canada and the United Kingdom, as their mother Autumn Phillips is a Canadian citizen. Some historians speculate that Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, was biracial, noting that official portraits show her as possessing African facial features; however, they lack concrete proof of this.

Baby Archie is barely a week old and has garnered much media attention worldwide. While his life will not be completely without prying eyes, it is safe to say his parents, although Duke and Duchess, will try to give him the most normal upbringing possible.