It has been announced that the Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a baby boy, who will be seventh in line to the throne. The announcement was made via the Sussex Royal Instagram Account.
The as yet unnamed boy was born in the early hours of 6th May, weighing 7lbs, 3oz. It is not yet known if Meghan Markle gave birth at home, or at nearby Frimley Park Hospital. The announcement comes after a flurry of press speculation over the birth of Baby Sussex over the last few weeks, and also puts paid to rumours that Meghan Markle could be having twins!
Buckingham Palace has released a statement confirming the birth: "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs.
"The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz.
"The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth.
"The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news
From the moment Harry and Meghan announced they were expecting in Australia last October, the unborn Baby Sussex was being described as a ‘royal rule breaker’ on account of its Anglo-American heritage. They will also be the first biracial baby in line to the British throne.
One thing we know for sure is that Meghan and Harry are keen to raise their child out of the spotlight and this is one of the key reasons the couple relocated from Kensington Palace to Windsor. ‘Harry is fiercely protective of Meghan and will be the same with his child. He wants them to enjoy a life away from the spotlight,’ says royal author, Katie Nicholl.
Why won’t the royal baby be a HRH?
Katie Nicholl also points out how as the couple are so keen to raise baby Sussex as a ‘normal’ child, it is unlikely he or any future siblings will have an HRH title. ‘They will most likely be following the same template Princess Anne used with Peter and Zara Phillips,’ she says.
But if they do choose to follow tradition, he will become Earl of Dumbarton, which is one of Harry’s lesser titles. The baby’s cousins, the Cambridge children, are all HRH. As third in line to the throne, Prince George is immediately an HRH, but following the birth of Princess Charlotte, the Queen intervened so that all his siblings would have the prefix of Prince or Princess.
What will the royal baby's surname be?
At school Kate and William's children simply by the surname ‘Cambridge’, which is what the Sussex children will also be known as at school.
Who will have custody of the royal baby?
This sounds like a strange question to ask, but an obscure piece of royal protocol means that the queen has custody of all minor royals, including Harry and Meghan's children...
How will the royal baby be raised differently to William and Kate's children?
Our only real reference point for our Harry and Meghan will raise their children is Kate and William’s parenting style. But there is a very simple answer as to why Meghan and Harry won’t be following the same path as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and it’s all down to royal protocol. Here, we’ve explored all of the ways baby Sussex will be raised differently to our beloved Prince George, Louis and Princess Charlotte.
This article originally appeared on our sister site Grazia