Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Son Archie Receives African Name with a Very Special Meaning
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kicked off their royal tour of Africa and already their son Archie has received a special honor — he’s been given an African name with a very special meaning.
Archie’s African name is meaningful
After arriving in Cape Town, South Africa, the couple started the first day of their tour visiting at Justice Desk, where they attended a workshop on children’s self-defense. Their son, Archie, wasn’t with them but was still given a beautiful gift.
In a brief speech by Jessica Dewhurst, the executive director of The Justice Desk, the Sussexes were presented with an African name for Archie during their visit to the Nyanga township.
Dewhurst revealed his special traditional South African Xhosa name — Ntsika — which was chosen by the community’s grandmothers and means “pillar of strength.”
She shared: “When your beautiful boy was born you gave him the name Archie. The name Archie means ‘bravery and strength.’ So to welcome Archie home, your family at the Justice Desk has given him the traditional South African name Ntsika. This name of Xhosa African origin means ‘pillar of strength.’ May you always be a pillar of strength for those who need you.”
Dewhurst also presented them with a shirt with the words “Be a Voice for Justice” on the back, saying because Archie’s a “Justice Desk hero, he gets his little Justice Desk hoodie.”
The couple loved the honor
Dewhurst explained that visitors who come to the township communities are usually given a traditional name. She told Town & Country: “The reason we chose that was mostly because Archie means the same thing that Ntsika does.”
She added: “So Archie means strength, it means bravery and the South African equivalent of that is Ntsika. When you get your traditional name it’s what you will look up to be. So when they give you a name it’s your wish for you and your future.”
Dewhurst shared that Prince Harry and Markle “absolutelyloved” the gift, noting, “They said thank you so much. They wanted to put onthe hoodie and I said ‘Harry that’s too small for you.’”
She added: “They loved the fact that our presents were for Archie… They love the fact that they’ve brought him here and they can’t wait for him to experience the country. For them to come here, it’s them saying that this work is so important they believe in it and they’re encouraging us to keep going and working hard.”
During their visit, Markle gave a speech, stating in part, “While I am here with my husband as a member of the Royal Family, I am here with you as a woman, as a wife, as a woman of color and as your sister. I am here with you and I am here for you.”
Where is baby Archie?
While Archie was spotted when Prince Harry and Markle arrived in Africa, the baby was noticeably absent when the couple attended their day of events. One stop for the couple was a tour of the District Six Museum, where they met with fans, including Somaya Ebrahim, a former District Six resident. She greeted Prince Harry and Markle with hugs and asked: “Where’s Archie?”
Harry explained, “He’s sleeping” … and when another resident asked about Archie, he shared that the flight was tiring, noting, “He’s not grouchy, just exhausted.”
Source: Read Full Article