HAPPY FAMILIES
Mum’s the word for royal couple Harry and Meghan. Marion McMullen checks out the baby news
1 A NEW royal baby is on the way and an overjoyed Harry and Meghan shared the news with the Queen and the royal family at Princess Eugenie’s wedding at the weekend. Kensington Palace made the announcement as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Sydney for a tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.
2 THE parents-to-be were given the first gifts for the unborn baby on the opening day of the tour in Australia. They were presented with a soft toy kangaroo and joey from his Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife, Lady Cosgrove. Harry was also presented with a pair of Ugg boots for the baby and described them as “awesome”.
3 MEGHAN and Harry married five months ago and broke news of the pregnancy following Meghan’s 12-week baby scan. The new baby is believed to be due in late April next year and could end up sharing their birthday with great-grandmother the Queen on April 21 or cousin Prince Louis on St George’s Day on April 23. The newest addition to the Royal Family is expected to arrive after Brexit Day – March 29 – when the UK is scheduled to leave the EU.
4 THE new royal will be seventh in line to the throne and the Queen’s eighth great-grandchild. The new baby will push Prince Andrew, right, into eighth in line followed by his eldest daughter Beatrice and younger daughter Eugenie. The Queen’s youngest son Edward drops out of the top 10 for the first time to eleventh in line.
5 THE baby will be a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, both pictured, and Prince Louis, but will not be a prince or princess unless the Queen steps in to use a Letter Patent ahead of the birth, otherwise a daughter will be known as Lady Mountbatten-Windsor and a boy will likely take one of Harry’s lesser titles such as Earl of Dumbarton or Baron Kikeel.
6 THE new baby will have two homes – Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace, below, and a country hideaway in the Cotswolds. Meghan and Harry already have two family pets, Meghan’s beagle Guy and a new black labrador called Oz.
7 MEGHAN at 37 is three years older than Harry and the couple have spoken openly about wanting to start a family. The topic cropped up during their engagement interview with Harry saying: “Hopefully we’ll start a family soon.”
8 BETS are already being taken on the new baby’s name. William and Kate chose royal favourites for their three children, but Harry and American-born Meghan could break the mould when naming their baby. Alice, Mary, Elizabeth or Victoria are favourite for a girl if the couple stay traditional or James, Philip, Frederick or Arthur for a boy are possibilities. The most popular name for a girl in America is Emma and Liam for a boy. Diana is also a favourite with bookies if the baby is a girl.
9 CELEBRITIES and politicians have sent their congratulations. Prime Minister Theresa May wrote on Twitter: “My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the happy news they are expecting a baby in the Spring. Wishing them all the best.” Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattinson and YouTuber Zoella have also sent their best wishes.
10 NEWS of the royal baby made the front pages of many of Australia’s newspapers. The country’s Daily Telegraph ran with the headline “Heir Dinkum” while the NT News, famed for its quirky front pages, simply ran with the cheeky headline “Ginger Pregs”.