Meghan Markle is pregnant, and it’s been confirmed. The American actress, now the Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry are expecting a baby.
Kensington Palace made the big reveal on Twitter on Monday, October 15, 2018. “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” the tweet from Kensington Palace read. The baby will be the 8th great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. Here is that tweet:
The pregnancy was rumored for days when Meghan showed up at Princess Eugenie’s wedding wearing an understated jacket with some buttons undone, and the rumors escalated when the Duchess of Sussex strategically positioned folders in front of her stomach when she landed in Sydney, Australia for a major tour with Harry. You can see more of those photos – with a hint of a baby bump in some perhaps – later in this article. The couple was spotted holding hands as news of the pregnancy broke:
It’s likely that Meghan will give birth around April 2019. Sky News notes that the baby was probably conceived “between early July and mid-August, with the royal couple having visited Dublin in Ireland during that period of the summer.” Daily Mail estimates the child will be born in “late April 2019, possibly around St George’s Day, April 23, meaning the child could share a birthday with its cousin Prince Louis.”
The Royal Family released a longer but similar statement. It reads, “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated 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 this happy news with the public.”
Meghan is 37-years-old. Harry is 34-years-old. The pregnancy is not unexpected due to the couple’s ages; Harry’s brother, Prince William, and his wife, Kate, have three children, of course. The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles have proclaimed that they are “delighted” by the news. Here’s a photo of Meghan with the purple folders:
Mirror reported that Meghan had a 12-week scan that showed her in good health.
Before the Meghan pregnancy announcement, the Palace had been tweeting about the Sydney trip. For example, Kensington Palace wrote the day before, “The Duke of Sussex last visited Australia to launch @InvictusSydney in 2017 — which will be a major focus for The Duke and Duchess during #RoyalVisitAustralia. The Duke and Duchess are excited to see Sydney fully embrace the Invictus spirit during #IG2018.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to meeting as many Australians as possible, and building an enduring relationship with the people of the country,” Kensington Palace also wrote. The UK Mirror noted that one element of the couple’s schedule in Australia may also have provided a hint that Meghan was pregnant; Prince Harry will climb “Sydney Harbour Bridge to officially raise the Invictus Flag,” reported Mirror, but Meghan is not listed as doing so.
Here are some pictures of Meghan that show hints of the pregnancy in recent days:
Meghan Markle Pregnant: In retrospect, Princess Eugenie’s Wedding Was a Big Clue
Some people thought that Meghan Markle’s outfit at Princess Eugenie’s October 12, 2018 wedding gave a hint of a baby bump. Turns out they were right, although, of course, with such a heavy coat it was a little hard to tell; that of course, might have been the point of it, with the strategically unbuttoned lower buttons.
Here’s another look:
Maybe it’s just the angle, but we can really see it in this photo:
Here’s another view of the strategically placed folders.
A couple weeks before, on October 3, 2018, Meghan and Prince Harry also appeared in public at an event, and she didn’t show signs of a baby bump – at least not much of one.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex married in May 2018. Here’s another view of Meghan in early October 2018:
Here’s another look from October 3, 2018:
Here’s how Meghan looked before the pregnancy:
When you compare recent photos to older ones, you can see her face is a bit fuller, and she’s got the pregnancy glow. Here’s another older picture: