THE QUEEN is “delighted” as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they are expecting their second child in a surprise reveal on Valentine’s Day.
Buckingham Palace sources revealed Her Maj and the family had already been told by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about the baby joy before they released the news.
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In a short statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Her Majesty, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and the entire family are delighted and wish them well.”
Baby Sussex will be The Queen’s 10th or 11th great-grandchild – depending on whether he or she arrives before or after Zara Tindall’s baby, which is also due in 2021.
And he or she will be Prince Charles fifth grandchild, joining Archie and Prince William’s children with George, Charlotte and Louis.
Harry and Meghan shared a black and white picture of themselves under a tree, with Harry resting his hand on Meghan’s head as she cradles her bump.
In a statement, the couple’s spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.”
It comes as…
- Bookies have revealed their top picks for baby names – including Diana and Alfie
- Piers Morgan attacked the Harry Couple for their ‘cheesy’ pregnancy pic
- Here is how Meghan appears to have kept her pregnancy secret
- Harry and Meghan’s touching tribute to Diana in the announcement has been revealed
- Meghan won a high court privacy battle in a blow to press freedom
- The Duchess is tipped to “do an Arnie” and run for office in the US
- Just days ago Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie gave birth to her new son
Meghan’s due date has not been revealed, but her bump appeared prominent in the photograph.
The couple quit their roles as senior working royals in March 2020 in a quest for personal and financial freedom, and now live in an £11 million house in Montecito in California.
Meghan and Harry’s new baby, like Archie, will grow up thousands of miles away from the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as his or her cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
He or she will still be eighth-in-line to the throne – and the most senior royal in the current line of succession to be born overseas.
They will not be entitled, at this stage, to be an HRH nor a prince or a princess due to rules set out more than 100 years ago by George V – but this is the same as what would have happened pre-Megxit.
The baby is entitled to be a Lord or a Lady, but Harry and Meghan will again opt to style their second-born a plain Master, like Archie, or a Miss, with the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
The Valentine’s Day announcement came just five days after the royal family celebrated the arrival of Princess Eugenie’s first child – a baby boy, who weighed 8lbs 1oz, on Tuesday February 9 at 8.55am.
It is more joy for The Queen who was also said to be “delighted” about the new arrival – with the Royal tot’s name not yet being announced by Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.
Harry and Meghan’s gesture appears to have been timed to take inspiration from the Prince late mum Princess Diana.
Some 37 years ago today Diana announced she was expecting Harry – her second child – in a surprise reveal for Valentine’s Day.
Meghan and Harry were married in May 2018 at St George’s Chapel, going on to welcome son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor into the world a year later.
Archie is due to celebrate his second birthday on May 6.
The couple kept the birth of Archie very private and chose not to reveal the hospital where he would be born or pose for pictures with him immediately after his arrival.
When they introduced Archie to the world two days after his birth, the parents gushed over his arrival.
New mum Meghan said at the time: “It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy.”
She added: “He has the sweetest temperament, he’s really calm.”
His christening was also a private affair.
The couple have made no secret of their desire for a second child but they previously said two would be their limit for environmental reasons.
The wonderful news of their second child comes just months after Meghan revealed her “unbearable grief” after suffering a miscarriage in July.
The Duchess penned a deeply person essay in The New York Times and revealed the exact moment when she realised she had lost the baby.
The couple kept the birth of Archie very private and chose not to reveal the hospital where he would be born or pose for pictures with him immediately after his arrival.
