London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 11, 2026

Prince Harry & Meghan turned down ‘Earl of Dumbarton’ title for son as it had ‘dumb’ in name

Prince Harry & Meghan turned down ‘Earl of Dumbarton’ title for son as it had ‘dumb’ in name

Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, reportedly turned down the title ‘Earl of Dumbarton’ for their son Archie over fears that he would be mocked for having the word ‘dumb’ in his name.

The Telegraph cited multiple unnamed sources on Wednesday who claimed that the couple did not want their son to use the title – which is currently being held by Prince Harry – for fear of him being bullied.

One of the sources told the newspaper that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “didn’t like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word ‘dumb’” and “they were worried about how that might look,” while another claimed that it “wasn’t just Meghan” who was concerned about the title, but also Harry.

The report blew up on social media, with many users calling the couple’s alleged decision “disrespectful” to the people of Dumbarton.


“Harry and Meghan just straight up roasted the 20,000 people that live in Dumbarton,” claimed one user, while Dumbarton resident Jonathan Rainey called the couple “a complete embarrassment.”

Another person, who claimed to be “born and raised in Dumbarton,” pointed out that the area voted overwhelmingly for Scottish independence and that most people there “couldn’t care less about the landed gentry and cannot relate to them.”

“They mean nothing to us, title or no title,” the Scot continued, adding, “That said Dumbarton’s etymology is from the term ‘fortress of the Britons’ so it would actually have been quite a ‘patriotic’ wee title for the wee man.”

Others jokingly questioned why the couple were happy with the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which have ‘sex’ in the name, and recommended the bogus title “Count of Scunthorpe” instead.




Some people disputed the accuracy of the article by noting that Prince Harry is the current holder of the Earl title, though royal experts explained that such a secondary title could be passed from Harry on to his son.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor is seventh in the line of succession to the throne.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
English Councils to Gain Power to Introduce Tourist Taxes by 2028
Kemi Badenoch Reshuffles Conservative Shadow Cabinet
Firefighters Make Progress Containing Major Wildfires in South Wales
John Lewis Partnership Reports £124 Million Loss
Study Says UK AI Data Centres Will Create Only a Quarter of Forecast Jobs
UK Government Considers Higher Industrial Water Prices Amid Supply Pressures
Andy Burnham Holds First Call With Donald Trump as UK Prime Minister
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record as Heatwaves Drive Hospital Admissions
Home Secretary Orders Police Crackdown on Far-Right Anti-Migrant Vigilantes
UK Supreme Court Rules Northern Ireland Religious Education Curriculum Breaches Human Rights Standards
Markets Price in Four Bank of England Rate Rises by Next Summer
House of Commons Prepares Free Vote on Assisted Dying Bill
UK Government Bans Trade With Israeli Settlements in Occupied Territories
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Artificial Intelligence Investment Supports Expansion
Andy Burnham Becomes UK Prime Minister After Keir Starmer Resigns
John Lewis Partnership Loss Widens to £124 Million
UK Government to Put White Working-Class Social Mobility at Centre of Equality Policy
McLaren Plans £450 Million Technology Investment Creating 1,000 UK Jobs
UK Chancellor Faces Calls for Wealth Taxes and Public Ownership in Autumn Budget
English Mayors to Gain Powers to Impose Uncapped Overnight Tourist Taxes
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Government Against Bank Windfall Taxes
UK Air Traffic Control Outage Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
UK Imposes Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as Middle East Tensions Push Long-Term Gilt Yields to Highest Since 1998
Buckingham Palace Says Prince Harry and Meghan Will Not Resume Official Royal Duties
UK Treasury Faces Calls to Scrap £100,000 Childcare Support Threshold
Trades Union Congress Urges Labour Government to Rewrite Migration Policy
Riot Police Deployed After Anti-Migrant Protests Turn Violent in Portsmouth
UK Considers Replacing Some Disability Cash Payments With Direct Services
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Warns UK Chancellor Against Higher Banking Taxes
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Metropolitan Police Investigate Alleged Illegal Donations to Reform UK
UK Charges Wiltshire Man With Assisting Russian Intelligence
UK Orders Urgent Review After Air Traffic Failure Cancels More Than 2,000 Flights
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
King Charles Confirms Prince Harry and Meghan Will Remain Private Citizens
Labour Selects Former Child Refugee for By-Election in Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Foreign Private Equity Accelerates Takeovers of London-Listed Industrial Companies
NHS Maternity Care Faces Scrutiny Over Support for Mothers After Caesarean Births
BBC Warns Staff Strikes Are Likely Amid Job Cuts and Programme Cancellations
English Housing Affordability Improves to Best Level in More Than a Decade
UK Health Commission Proposes Framework for Wider AI Adoption Across NHS
Labour Faces Pressure for Wealth Tax Ahead of Autumn Budget
Metropolitan Police Open Criminal Investigation Into Alleged Foreign Donations to Reform UK
UK Police Deploy Riot Officers After Anti-Immigration Unrest in Portsmouth and Dover
UK Defends Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Despite Diplomatic Retaliation
UK Air Traffic Control Failure Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights and Disrupts 65,000 Passengers
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
×