Meghan, Harry introduce baby Archie to the public
LONDON - Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, gave the world a first look Wednesday at their son and, after introducing him to the queen, announced his name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
The two-day old appeared quite comfortable in his new role as royal baby. He attended his first photocall inside St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, cradled in his father's arms. Truth be told, he looked . . . sleepy. He was swaddled in a beanie and blanket, and, like many babies, bore a striking resemblance to Winston Churchill.
Harry said the couple was "so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy."
Meghan said she's got "the two best guys in the world."
Archie, who is seventh in line to the British throne, was born under a partial veil of secrecy Monday at dawn, weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
Speaking to a pool reporter at Windsor, Meghan said, "It's magic, it's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy."
She said that her baby "has the sweetest temperament, he's really calm."
Laughing, Harry said, "I don't know who he gets that from."
When asked whom he takes after, Meghan said: "We're still trying to figure that out."
Harry said, "He's already got a little bit of facial hair."
Meghan was wearing heels and a cream-colored dress. The couple gave a very short interview, and then said they were off to introduce their son to the queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Royals tend to pick traditional names for their offspring. And so it was no surprise that before the announcement, bookies said that the favorite names for Baby Sussex were Spencer, Alexander, James, Philip, Arthur and Albert.
Prince Harry's name isn't actually Harry, by the way. It's Henry Charles Albert David.
Sadly for fans of "Suits," the legal tv drama that Meghan starred in for seven seasons, "Harvey" or "Specter" weren't seen to be in contention.
The Sussexes continue to do things their own way, at times bucking tradition.
Unlike Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Harry and Meghan did not appear before the cameras just hours after giving birth.
Instead, a beaming Harry met reporters on Monday near the couple's home in Windsor and told the media that mother and baby were doing well.
Already a hugely popular prince, Harry may have won over new fans when he added: "It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension."
On the day of the birth, palace officials were slow to feed a hungry press, some of whom had been camped out in Windsor for days waiting for news.
When Buckingham Palace had announced that Meghan had gone into labor early on Monday morning, she had in fact already had the baby eight hours earlier.
Royal watchers also observed that when a framed notice of the birth was displayed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, it wasn't signed by the medical staff who delivered the baby, which was unusual.
Before the baby's arrival, there had been much debate in Britain about whether Meghan and Harry might pursue a home birth attended by a midwife, rather than a hospital birth. The couple has kept their ultimate decision private.
There's also interest in what things look like inside the family's newly renovated home of Frogmore Cottage. But the two media interactions since the baby's birth have been staged elsewhere on the Windsor estate grounds.
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, told reporters on Tuesday he was "obviously thrilled, absolutely thrilled," and added, "I'm very pleased and glad to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting."
The birth was a global moment, too, with well-wishers ranging from Michelle Obama ("Barack and I are so thrilled for both of you and can't wait to meet him") to the talk show host Ellen DeGeneres ("The baby is 7th in line for the throne, which is crazy, because right now I'm 7th in line for the key-making kiosk at my grocery store.")