Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Royal Baby Be an American Citizen?
The wait is finally over: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal baby has arrived.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that Markle gave birth to a healthy baby boy early in the morning on May 6. According to Prince Harry, both mother and son are doing great—and the littlest royal is "to die for." The couple plans to introduce the world to their son in two days—and we will likely hear his name then as well.
The Duchess Of Sussex Gives Birth To A Boy
The newest member of the Sussex family is now seventh in line for the throne behind his grandfather, Prince Charles; his uncle, Prince William; his cousins, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis; and his own father. But he differs from his family in a big way: His mom is American. So does that mean Baby Sussex will also be an American citizen?
The answer is, technically, yes. According to the U.S. State Department, a child born to a U.S. citizen abroad who, in this case Markle, has lived in the U.S. at some point in the five years before the birth automatically acquires citizenship. Although, as People notes, Markle and Harry would need to "report the birth to an American consulate in order to acquire the official documents needed to prove U.S. citizenship." Like a passport, for example.
The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Attend A Commonwealth Day Youth Event At Canada House
The Palace has previously stated that the Duchess of Sussex plans to become a U.K. citizen, but that process takes some time. At the time of her engagement to Prince Harry, a spokesperson said it was "too early to say" if Markle would retain her American citizenship as well, but that's still a possibility. In other words, both she and her new son could be citizens of both countries.
But given how private the couple has been about details of their first child's birth, we might not get an answer to this for quite some time.
