How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Will Announce the Birth of Their Royal Baby
Meghan Markle is thought to be days away from the birth of her first child, and royal watchers around the world are eagerly awaiting news. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, has reportedly been in the U.K. since Tuesday, April 16, indicating that her grandchild's arrival is imminent, but in general, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have opted to keep plans surrounding the birth of their baby "private."
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and around the world as they prepare to welcome their baby," reads a statement from Buckingham Palace released earlier this month.
"Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."
It's also still unclear where, exactly, the Duchess plans to deliver, but it is understood that there will be a public announcement when she has gone into labor, and another at some point following the birth.
According to royal tradition, the British monarch will be the first to know about the birth of the child, who will be seventh in line to the throne. Given that Harry's grandmother is now 93 years old, she is unlikely to be woken up in the middle of the night to hear the news, which could delay this whole process a bit.
After the Queen has been made aware of her newest great-grandchild, Meghan and Harry will share their excitement with the rest of their family. According to CNN, the British Prime Minister and the Governor General of each Commonwealth nation will also be notified.
When they are ready to announce their baby's arrival to the public, it's likely the Sussexes will both post on social media and place an official notice on an easel outside of Buckingham Palace. Traditionally, that announcement includes the time of birth, and the newborn's gender and weight, but not his or her name. That key detail is typically shared just a few days after the baby's birth.
As the Duke and Duchess do not have their own Twitter account, the post will presumably come from the @RoyalFamily handle.
But don't expect to see the newest member of the royal family in the hours after his or her birth. The Duke and Duchess are notably skipping the traditional photocall outside of the hospital. Instead, they will pose for a photo with their child at some point after the birth. That image will then be shared publicly. Given that they only recently started their own Instagram account, @sussexroyal, it has been speculated that Meghan and Harry could release the first portrait of their child there, though that has not been confirmed at this point.
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