An LA birth, bucking tradition and a future US president – everything you need to know about Harry and Meghan’s royal baby
The parents-to-be royally rocked the southern hemisphere
Seriously, we haven’t been so obsessed with a tour since the Spice Girls reunited in 2007. And while they may be on the other side of the world, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feel closer to us than ever before, thanks to the nonstop fanfare that’s surrounded their tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji. But it’s not just their adorable meet-and-greets and loved-up faces that have us hooked.
No sooner had they touched down in Sydney last week, we were treated to the jubilant news that there was a baby on board. Huzzah! The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – who married in May in a ceremony watched by 1.9billion people worldwide – kicked off their first overseas jaunt in style by announcing to the world that Meghan is expecting a baby next spring. And, according to sources
‘they have been looking at hospitals in Los angeles’
close to the royal pair, they’ve got big plans for their little cherub – starting with a Stateside birth.
“Harry and Meghan have been looking into hospitals in Los Angeles,” a Kensington Palace insider tells heat. “They are very keen on Cedars-sinai, where Beyoncé had her twins. They know it might be seen as a controversial move in some quarters, but it means a lot to Meghan for this baby to be born in America. They’ve already been looking for a house in Los Angeles, which they could make their second home. The idea is for their children to be born in California and schooled in the UK.”
While Meghan has embraced UK life with open arms, and was baptised into the Church of England shortly before saying “I do”, it’s believed she’s still in the process of officially applying for British citizenship. As it stands, their baby will obtain dual citizenship for the US and UK – based on the assumption that she won’t give up her American citizenship. But while Prince William and Kate Middleton adhered to royal protocol by having their three children at the private Lindo Wing in St Mary’s Hospital, there’s no doubt that being born in the US could open a lot more doors for the future blue blood – potentially, even to the White House. Meghan knows her
and Harry’s children will have a lot less constraints around them than Kate and Wills’ kids and she doesn’t want them to have all the pressures of royal life when they’re so young.
“One of Meghan’s driving passions is to become a force for change in the world,” our source explains. “It’s very unlikely that Harry will become king, but there is no reason why their children couldn’t run for the presidency. She doesn’t want to put any restrictions on her kids or be held back by royal protocol.” Meghan’s mum Doria is also believed to be moving to London to help with her grandchild, and our source says, “She couldn’t be more excited about the baby.”
From the moment they landed Down Under, Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, have given us all the feels with their cute embraces and candid moments while meeting well-wishers and admirers, and it’s clear they’re revelling in the excitement of their babymoon almost as much as us. On their first day in Sydney, at a reception at Admiralty House, the pair received a toy kangaroo and a little pair of Ugg boots from Australia’s Governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove. Harry thanked him and told the crowd, “We couldn’t think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby.”
Then, days later – after one ballsy 12 year old broached baby names while riding beside them on a Melbourne tram – Meghan revealed they’d been given “a long list of names from everyone and we’re going to sit down and look at them, have a talk about it”.
According to our source, the expectant couple have also been given a book of traditional names to help inspire them. We’re told, “They’re liking Theodore for a boy and Isabella for a girl. And if they have a daughter, Diana will be one of her middle names.”
Meanwhile, it wasn’t just their blooming news that kept hearts fluttering as they made their way around Oz. In the town of Dubbo, Meghan proved that behind every great man is a woman holding a brolly, as she sheltered Harry from the rain while he gave his speech to a crowd of local farmers (top left). But our favourite moment so far was when the pair were greeted by a class of schoolchildren from Buninyong Public School in Victoria. As Harry knelt down to meet five-year-old Luke Vincent, the adorable boy embraced him for a big hug, before stroking and touching his beard. Harry then introduced him to Meghan, telling the little boy, “She would love a cuddle, too” – to which Luke dutifully obliged, before giving Hazza’s ginger fuzz one last stroke. Basically, Luke’s our hero.
As the royal tour continued, the pair continued taking in the many sights of Australia before, this week, touching down in Fiji. They were then set to celebrate the last day of the Invictus Games over the weekend, before flying off to New Zealand. And while any mum-tobe would be forgiven for needing to put her feet up on occasion, Meghan soldiered on – telling a fellow mum whose family hosted
‘She doesn’t want her kids to have the pressures of royal life’
them on their farm that she was “running on adrenaline”. Heck, she even had time to bake them her famous banana bread. Because she probably found two minutes to spare and automatically filled it by whipping egg whites.
So, we hope you know how lucky you are, people of Australia, because – like all great tours – this one will go down in history. Not only has it proven to be a very special babymoon for the loved-up pair, it’s also confirmed to us that Harry has no problem with having his beard softly stroked by strangers.
Good to know, if we ever get the opportunity.