Harry and Meghan refused Earl of Dumbarton title for Archie because it had the word 'dumb'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have claimed their son Archie was denied the "prince" title due to his mixed-race heritage despite an extra threat to his safety, were reportedly offered a lesser title which they refused.

According to a report in The Telegraph, Archie was automatically entitled to his father's title of Earl of Dumbarton, a historic Scottish title which has been extinct for more than 250 years, but the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex were not keen on it because it contained the word "dumb." A source said that the couple were "worried about how that might look" and feared that their son would be mocked for it.

When Harry and Meghan tied the knot in May 2018, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed them with the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The monarch also gifted them the titles of Earl and Countess of Dumbarton, to be used when they are in Scotland, and Baron and Baroness Kilkeel, to be used when they are in Ireland. However, they have rarely used the two other titles, while the Duchess title was recently used by Meghan when she released her children's book "The Bench."

Another source claimed about the couple's concerns about their Scottish title, "It wasn't just Meghan who pointed out the potential pitfalls, it also bothered Harry."

It is also said that Harry did not even want to give titles to his children to enable them to live normal lives, just like what his aunt Princess Anne did for her son Peter and daughter Zara. Sources close to the couple tell the outlet that they "never raised an issue" about their son not being made a prince.

However, in their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Meghan had said that not being a prince meant less security for Archie, which they were worried about as they believed the toddler would be under additional threat just like his mother, due to their mixed-race heritage.

"They didn't want him to be a prince or princess, not knowing what the gender would be, which would be different from protocol, and (said) that he wasn't going to receive security," she had said.

The "Suits" alum had further claimed that an unnamed senior royal was involved in conversations about her unborn child's skin colour.

"In those months when I was pregnant we have in tandem the conversation of, you won't be given security, not gonna be given a title and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born," she alleged.