Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, went into labor on May 6, 2019 – at last. The world was eager to welcome a new Royal Baby.
Then the news came: Meghan Markle had given birth. It’s a boy, the palace confirmed. ABC News is reporting that a name hasn’t been chosen yet. He is 7 pounds, three ounces. Prince Harry said the boy was “absolutely to die for” and declared himself thrilled. The Palace said Meghan and baby were doing well and the Royal Family was delighted.
“I’m very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a baby boy earlier this morning, a very healthy boy,” he said, according to Daily Mail. He added, “Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. It’s been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension but we’re both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there. It’s been amazing so we just wanted to share this with everybody.”
“We’re both absolutely thrilled.”
This is the moment Prince Harry announced that his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had given birth to a baby boy 🎉🍼.
Read more about the new #RoyalBaby here: t.co/wddVPOTNQm
He declared himself “so incredibly proud of my wife.”
The Palace revealed in a statement: “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. The Duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with their royal highnesses at Frogmore Cottage. Her royal highness and her child are both doing well.”
The boy is seventh in line to the British throne, according to the Evening Standard. Markle was said to be about a week overdue when she went into labor, but she was described as “incredibly relaxed and positive.” Her mother, Doria Ragland, was said to be in England at her daughter’s side.
Baby watchers have been waiting for some time as it was reported that Meghan Markle was overdue. One sign that the birth was impending: Prince Harry recently cancelled an overseas trip to be at his wife’s side. The world waited with bated breath to see whether the Royal Baby would be a boy or a girl, and whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will choose a traditional, or non-traditional, name for the new Royal Family member.
Sky’s Royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills, said, according to Mirror: “It was in the early hours of this morning when the Duchess went into labour and the Duke was by her side.”
Meghan Markle Went Into Labor on Monday, May 6, 2019
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The big news that Meghan Markle was in labor broke on Monday, May 6, 2019, and Buckingham Palace confirmed it. The British news media also reported that the Duchess of Sussex was in labor. Here’s the official statement from Buckingham Palace. It doesn’t reveal much, just that the labor started in the early morning hours and Prince Harry was at his wife’s side. The Palace later revealed it is a boy.
Official confirmation from Buckingham Palace that the Duchess of Sussex went into labour in the early hours of this morning #RoyalBaby
Mirror reports that the Duke and Duchess have decided to break from tradition and keep the birth details secret. Thus, you may not see the traditional mother carrying baby on the hospital steps pictures. (Remember the polka dotted dresses worn by Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge?) There was also talk that Markle was hoping for a home birth although the fact she was likely overdue may have compounded that. She eventually was taken to a private hospital.
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The Mirror reported that it wasn’t even clear whether the Duchess was giving birth at home or a hospital (that’s usually announced by Royal Family members when they give birth), and the name of the child might not be known for days.
Indeed, rumors had swirled for days that the Duchess had already given birth, when initially Prince Harry stated that he was going on the trip to the Netherlands, but those proved false, and the Duke cancelled the journey. Oddsmakers stopped taking bets on the baby’s gender and name as a result, though. (Some people were hoping for Diana, of course! But with news it is a boy, that wish will not be granted.)
According to the Evening Standard, it was believed the child was due in either late April or early May.
Markle, of course, was an American actress starring on the television show Suits when she met and married Prince Harry. Prince William and his wife Kate have three children, George, Louis, and Charlotte.
The child will be the first for Prince Harry and his wife. You can read more about Doria Ragland here. You can read about Meghan Markle’s family here.