THE Earl and Countess of Dumbarton turned down the title of Earl of Dumbarton for their son Archie as they were worried he could be bullied over the word 'dumb', it's being reported.

The Daily Telegraph claims that Harry and Meghan didn’t like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word 'dumb' and were worried about how that might look.

The paper say sources reveal they declined to use the title as they feared their son would be bullied or attract unfortunate nicknames as a result of the town’s name.

READ MORE: Dumbarton keen to roll out the red carpet after Harry and Meghan receive titles as wedding gift from the Queen (from 2018)

Reaction has been swift, with Dumbarton FC tweeting "No offence taken" to the official @RoyalFamily Twitter account.

 

 

The couple themselves were given the titles of Earl and Countess of Dumbarton by the Queen on the morning of their wedding, sparking hopes they might one day visit the historic town.

But they announced in January 2020 that they planned to step back as senior royals - a step they duly took two months later.

They now live in California and confirmed in February of this year that they would not be returning to be working members of the royal family.

READ MORE: Click here for all Dumbarton and the Vale's latest news headlines