Meghan Markle says Royal family discussed how ‘dark Archie’s skin might be’

Meghan Markle says members of the Royal family had discussed the potential color of her son’s skin before he was born and informed her that he wouldn’t receive security protection because he wasn’t going to have a Prince title.   

In the bombshell CBS interview with Oprah on Sunday night, Meghan revealed that members of the family had several conversations with Prince Harry about how dark Archie’s skin might be. 

‘All around this same time, we have in tandem the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title and also concerns and conversations as how dark his skin might be when he’s born,’ Meghan said. 

‘That was relayed to me from Harry from conversations that family had with him.’

Meghan refused to say who had those conversations with Harry, saying: ‘That would be really damaging to them.’ 

The revelation came after Meghan said she had been informed Archie wouldn’t have security protection when he was born because he wasn’t going to be given a HRH or Prince title.     

Their son, who is seventh in the line to the throne, was christened Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

At the time of Archie’s birth, it was widely reported that Harry and Meghan had broken with royal convention by making a personal decision not to use a title. 

Meghan denied that her and Harry declined the title. 

‘If you’re saying without a title is what’s going to affect their protection, we haven’t created this monster machine around us in terms of click-bait and tabloid fodder,’ Meghan said. 

‘You’ve allowed that to happen, which means our son needs to be safe.’

She said: ‘I was very scared of having to offer up our baby knowing he wasn’t going to be kept safe.’ 

Oprah questioned Meghan about why her son wasn’t a prince. 

‘How did they explain to you that your son, the great-grandson of the queen, wasn’t going to be a prince. You certainly must have had some conversations with Harry about it and had your own suspicions as to why they didn’t want to make Archie a prince,’ Oprah asked in the clip. 

Archie, who will turn two in May, is the eighth great-grandchild to Queen Elizabeth. 

He is not currently entitled to be an HRH, nor be a prince or a princess, due to rules set out more than 100 years ago by George V.  

Only the children and grandchildren of the Sovereign automatically get those titles. Great-grandchildren are only given the title if the Queen intervenes, which explains why Princess Charlotte and Price Louis have those titles.  

Archie will be entitled to be an HRH and a prince or princess when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne. 

As the first-born son of a duke, Archie could have become Earl of Dumbarton – one of Harry’s subsidiary titles – or been Lord Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.  

The decision was thought to be inspired by Harry’s wish to have been a normal child, rather than a prince, as he grew up. 

Meghan and Harry, who are now living in Montecito, California with their son, are expecting their second child later this year. 

Baby Sussex will be the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 10th or 11th great-grandchild, depending on whether he or she arrives before or after Zara Tindall’s baby, which is also due in 2021. 

The same title rules will apply to their second-born child. 

Harry and Meghan have sought to keep Archie out of the public eye for the most part since moving to California, only releasing a few photos of him on holidays such as his birthday.