Royal baby: All the updates on Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s first child
From when the royal baby is due to be born to the place they will hold in line to the throne, here is everything you need to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first child
“Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” read a tweet from Kensington Palace on October 15, 2018—a happy news that instantly seemed to brighten up the dreary weather in the UK and became a welcome injection of delight around the world. Ever since, royal family enthusiasts have been glued to their seats to download every new update. The details about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first child were made public hours after they landed in Sydney, Australia, for their debut official royal tour as a married couple, five months after their wedding. While on the visit, the excited father-to-be made his first statement about the impending arrival after greeting the crowd. “We also genuinely couldn’t think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby,” he said, before adding, “be it a boy or a girl.”
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When was the Queen informed?
The Queen and other senior royals were informed about the news at Princess Eugenie’s wedding on October 12, 2018 in Windsor—three days prior to the public announcement. The Kensington Palace spokesperson also declared that the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are “delighted” at the news.
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When is Meghan Markle due?
It won’t be long before Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be a royal family of three. The 37-year-old Markle is due in the spring of 2019, possibly around end of April or early May.
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Do the parents want a boy or a girl?
The royal dad-to-be hinted that he wants his first born with wife Meghan Markle to be a girl during their Sydney visit in October 2018, at a cycling event at the Invictus Games—the international adaptive sport competition for wounded servicemen, women and veterans. This sweet inclination of the 34-year-old Prince Harry was captured in a video that shows a fan declaring that she “hopes the baby is a girl”, immediately propelling Harry to respond, “So do I!”, as he continued to walked along the cycling path.
What place will the royal baby hold in line to the throne?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s firstborn will be seventh in the line to the throne. This is how the line of succession will look like after the royal baby is born—Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Prince George of Cambridge; Princess Charlotte of Cambridge; Prince Louis of Cambridge; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. This will push Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie of York to eighth, ninth and tenth positions in line to the throne respectively.
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The rules about who succeeds the throne have changed in recent years, thanks to the Duchess of Cambridge’s efforts. In 2013, an unprecedented act was passed, declaring in a groundbreaking move that states a baby boy will no longer take precedence over a baby girl, based simply on gender. This is why Princess Charlotte remains ahead of Prince Louis in the line of succession for the first time ever. For Meghan and Harry, it means that if they have a baby girl, she too could wear the crown herself one day.
Will the baby be called a prince or princess?
A short answer to this would be no, the new royal baby would not be a prince or princess. The Queen would need to give a special dispensation for the same—an exception she made for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis because they are closer in line to the throne.
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Prince Harry’s first son will become Earl of Dumbarton—one of the subsidiary titles bequeathed to him by the Queen on his wedding. A daughter would be Lady Mountbatten-Windsor, and any subsequent son would become Lord Mountbatten-Windsor. This is so because King George V, Prince Harry’s great-great-grandfather, limited titles within the royal family in 1917. As great-grandchild to the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s child is too far down the line of succession to be an HRH.
Will the royal baby be British, American or a dual citizen by birth?
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Let’s start with the native American actor’s citizenship. A spokesperson for the Kensington Palace confirmed that Meghan Markle is entitled to British citizenship—a procedure that’s expected to take place in a couple of years. Once a citizen, she could choose to renounce her American allegiance, but she doesn’t have to. For the heir to the throne, this means that the son or daughter will automatically be entitled to both citizenships, as both countries provide for transmission of citizenship through blood links at least for two generations. However, the parents would need to apply for the US visa, much like they did for the UK one.
Where and when will the royal baby be born?
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The Lindo Wing in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, has been the maternity ward of choice for the royal family. The practise of using the Lindo Wing for royal births appears to date back to Princess Anne, who gave birth to both her children, Peter and Zara Phillips there. Princess Diana took her lead, and Prince Harry was born at this royal-approved facility in 1984 as well. And in recent times, the Duchess of Cambridge has also had three successful deliveries at the private wing.
What makes it so special? Apart from being in close vicinity to Kensington Palace, the Wing is well-adept at dealing with royal births, and with the publicity surrounding them. So chances are that Markle might follow her sister-in-law’s suit too.
What happens after the baby is born?
Upon the royal baby’s arrival, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle must make their first call to Queen Elizabeth II. It is only after she has been informed that other family members and members of the public may be looped in on the news.
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According to royal protocol, once a royal baby is born, a 62-gun salute takes place at the Tower of London. This takes about 10 minutes to complete. Since medieval times, an unofficial town crier has been announcing the arrival of a royal baby in the city. Tony Appleton served as the ‘unofficial’ town crier for Princess Charlotte’s birth. However, the public won’t get a glimpse of the baby until his or her christening. Typically, this event takes place in the days or weeks following the child’s birth, though there isn’t a set window of time in which it must be completed. At the ceremony, each royal baby wears a traditional christening gown that has been passed through the monarchy for eight generations.
How will the royal baby be named?
Much like other members of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be faced with the difficult task of naming their royal bundle of joy. The baby’s name would mean much more than just a moniker—it needs to pay respect to the centuries-old naming traditions and customs of the royal family, while also being relevant and relatable to contemporary times. According to UK-based bookmaker Ladbrokes, the likely picks for a daughter include Mary, Alice and Victoria, while Albert and Arthur lead the possibilities for sons.
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However, the name of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby might be a slight departure from the prescribed names. “The further down the line of succession, the more likely you are to have a more unique or untraditional name,” says Carolyn Harris, a professor of history at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, and author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting.
Also read:
Meghan Markle’s best style highlights of 2018
How Meghan Markle is navigating maternity style
Kate Middleton channels Princess Diana in her post-birth look
