Pregnant Meghan Markle arrives in Australia: what we know
Kensington Palace announces Duchess of Sussex is expecting as royal couple embark on major tour
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Australia this morning for the start of their first major royal tour as Kensington Palace announced that they are expecting their first child.
Just hours after the couple touched down in Sydney, a Palace spokesperson said: “Their Royal Highnesses are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in Spring 2019.
“Their Royal Highnesses very much appreciate all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share their happy news.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted for the couple and were able to congratulate them in Friday at the wedding [of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank] in person.”
The Duchess is understood to be “past the 12-week mark”, according to the London Evening Standard, which adds that speculation has already begun over what the couple might call their child.
The Daily Telegraph notes that “tradition is an intrinsic part of the Windsors’ lives” and that the expectant parents may opt for a classic name, “something like Alice, Mary, Elizabeth or Victoria for a girl, and Philip, Frederick, Charles, Arthur, Edward or James for a boy”.
“But the pair are also forward-thinking royals,” the newspaper adds.
The Palace spokesperson said that Duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, who lives in California, was “very happy about this lovely news”. It is not clear whether the Markle’s estranged father has been informed directly.
The baby is not expected to be granted a royal title, according to the Daily Express, which notes that “King George V - Harry’s great great grandfather - limited titles within the Royal Family in 1917”. “This means the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s firstborn, as a great-grandchild of the sovereign, is too far down the line of succession to be an HRH,” the newspaper continues.
“A first son of Harry’s would become Earl of Dumbarton - one of the subsidiary titles Harry received from the Queen on the morning of his wedding.
“A daughter would be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor, and any subsequent sons Lord (first name) Mounbatten-Windsor.”
The royal parents-to-be are visiting Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific island states of Fiji and Tonga during their tour, which will last 16 days.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Manipulated' photo of UK's Princess Kate spiked
speed read The first official image of Kate Middleton since January has been retracted
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Modern royal scandals from around the world
The Explainer From Spain to the UAE, royal families have often been besieged by negative events
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The Regency Acts: what happens if King Charles can't perform his duties
The Explainer Monarch's responsibilities could be carried out by a regent or the counsellors of state
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
King Charles diagnosed with cancer
Speed Read Monarch 'remains wholly positive about his treatment', during which senior royals are expected to stand in for him
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Princess of Wales to remain in hospital for two weeks as King prepares for prostate treatment
Speed Read The timing of the two royal medical announcements was said to be an 'unavoidable coincidence'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary: a guide to Denmark's next king and queen
Why everyone's talking about Queen Margrethe II is stepping down after 52 years on Denmark's throne
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
King laughs about his 'sausage fingers' in new documentary
Speed Read Charles's ample digits have long attracted 'attention and concern' but he is often the 'first to poke fun'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Prince Harry: judge rules 'extensive' phone hacking carried out by Mirror Group papers
Speed Read High Court rules in Duke's favour as he urges police investigation, claiming editors lied under oath at Leveson Inquiry
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published