London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 18, 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
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
Bank of England Warns Rising Inflation Could Squeeze UK Household Incomes
UK Government Announces £65 Million Aid Package for Farmers Hit by Severe Drought
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Energy Market Pressures
UK Issues Emergency Alert as Severe Wildfires Spread Across England and Wales
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
×