The officials had an optimistic hope that Archie might one day visit the plane on a royal tour of his own. However, their request took an unexpected turn when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex responded.
In their reply, the then-Royals expressed their gratitude to the New South Wales government for the kind offer but politely declined it. Their rationale for declining was that their son, Archie, had not yet entered public life. This decision came at a time when the firefighting plane had played a crucial role in helping control the extensive Bushfire season that had ravaged Australia in 2019.
Ultimately, the firefighting plane was named in honor of a former New South Wales Governor, Mary Bashir, when it was unveiled in August. Mary Bashir, the first female governor who served from 2001 to 2014, expressed her humility and gratitude for the honor. She acknowledged the world-class service provided by emergency service members and appreciated their dedication to protecting the communities of New South Wales.
However, this decision raised some questions and speculations. It was suggested that Meghan Markle might have offered to replace Archie's name with her own. Still, the New South Wales Governor, Mary Bashir, firmly refused, as Meghan was primarily known as Prince Harry's wife and did not have royal blood.
The reluctance of Prince Harry and Meghan to accept the plane dedication and the subsequent refusal to have it named after Meghan suggested a difference in perception between Archie and Meghan's status within the royal family. Archie, as a member of the royal lineage, was seen as having a more prestigious and significant role, while Meghan's position was viewed as secondary.
Interestingly, Prince Harry recently shared insight into Archie's aspirations for the future during a Netflix docu-series, "Heart of Invictus." He revealed that Archie, at the age of four, is passionate about pursuing various professions when he grows up, including aspirations of becoming an astronaut or a pilot. Prince Harry emphasized the importance of character in guiding Archie's future path, highlighting that nothing would make him and Meghan prouder than to see their son exhibit the character they value highly.
Archie's interest in aviation-related careers could be attributed, in part, to his father's own career experiences. Prince Harry served as a pilot for the British Army and had undergone training to become an Army Air Corps helicopter pilot.
