Prince Harry and Meghan said no to naming RFS tanker ‘Archie’
The Rural Fire Service approached Prince Harry and his wife Meghan asking them if they could honour their son Archie by naming a large air tanker — used in the devastating summer bushfires — after them. But the couple refused. Here’s why.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It’s known as the “Marie Bashir” but the multimillion-dollar firefighting plane that became a fixture in the skies during the summer bushfires was supposed to have been called “Archie”.
That was until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said “no”.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal an official request was made to the couple for the state government to be able to use the name of their son for a Large Air Tanker (LAT) it had purchased for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS).
Naming the 737 “Archie” was supposed to be in recognition of Meghan’s pregnancy being confirmed during the couple’s successful 2018 Australian tour.
MORE FROM LINDA SILMALIS:
Sydney nurses spat on, abused in public for ‘spreading virus’
Secret midnight call that allowed ‘death ship’ to dock
The view was that one day young Archie would visit Australia on his own tour and “meet” his namesake.
However, officials were shocked to receive a letter of reply from the then royals, politely declining the request.
It is understood the official rejection letter stated that the reason the couple did not want the airtanker to be named Archie was because their son had “not yet entered public life”.
The couple thanked the government for the “kind offer”, a government source said.
The matter came to light after the couple unveiled the details of their new charity “Archewell” last week.
They revealed the name came from the Greek word “arche”, which they also revealed had been the inspiration for their son’s name, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Arche is the Greek word meaning “source of action”, they explained.
“We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name,” they said in a statement.
After being snubbed, the government chose to instead honour the state’s first female NSW Governor Marie Bashir who declared at the time to have been “humbled” by the move.
The state government bought the LAT and two fixed wing aircraft at a cost of $26.3 million in 2018. Archie was born May 9 last year. The LAT was officially named the “Marie Bashir” three months after his birth.
It is the first permanent LAT for the NSW RFS, which had previously been forced to borrow aircraft from Canada and the US.
Able to fly up to 850km/h while carrying 15,000 litres of water or retardant, the Marie Bashir played a critical role in helping ground crews fight the devastating summer bushfires during her first official deployment.
Based at the RAAF base in Richmond, the air tanker is available for use year-round and able to fly anywhere in NSW within the hour.
“She’s done so many kilometres the name Marie Bashir has almost worn off from the smoke and retardant,” one RFS firefighter said.
“She saved countless of homes and lives over this bushfire season.
“I’m not sure why we needed permission to name her Archie, but Marie Bashir is a good name.”
Originally published as Prince Harry and Meghan said no to naming RFS tanker ‘Archie’
Poll backs cops over move to ban Middle East protests
An overwhelming majority has expressed strong support for granting police the authority to reject planned protests, following the Premier’s announcement of a review into resource allocation for managing these events.
Python panic: ‘Anaconda sized’ snake on the loose
A massive “anaconda sized” python is on the loose on the Qld-NSW border, with its owners keen to see their sneaky family pet slither back home.