Harry and Meghan's baby won't get a royal title - report

  • 22/10/2018

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will reportedly not seek an official royal title for their first child.

Since the announcement of Meghan Markle's pregnancy last week, there's been much speculation around not only what the baby will be called, but what its title will be.

The child will be seventh-in-line to the throne and, if it's a boy, he'll inherit the title of Earl of Dumbarton, which the Queen bestowed upon Prince Harry on his wedding day.

If the baby's a girl, she could be Lady Mountbatten-Windsor - but Harry and Meghan intend to avoid such formalities and give their child an ordinary name, according to reports.

A source told The Sunday Times the couple doesn't want to burden their baby with the weight of royal responsibilities right from birth.

"That word 'normal' looms very large for Harry and Meghan when it comes to their child's future," the source said.

They said the couple wants to follow the lead of Princess Anne, Harry's aunt, who turned down royal titles for both of her children. 

Those children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, have led relatively normal lives and embarked on successful careers independent of their famous family.

Harry himself has told media in the past that he struggled with growing up as a royal, saying he wouldn't have chosen to be in that position.

Leaving off a royal title when they name their baby - due in the New Zealand autumn of 2019 - will probably let the child lead a more anonymous life free of intense media scrutiny.

Newshub.