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50 Frequently Asked Questions About Meghan Markle’s Royal Baby

The countdown to Baby Sussex is on. But you have questions. Like “Who is Baby Sussex?” Or “Why should I care?” Or “Is it a girl?” Lucky for you, we’ve got answers.

first things first who is baby sussex

Baby Sussex is the soon-to-arrive, first-born offspring of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (and if you don’t know who they are, we’ve got bigger problems).

why the name baby sussex1

Harry and Meg are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Until we know the kid’s real name, this placeholder is the next best thing.

when s the royal baby due

The official (read: vague) statement from Kensington Palace confirmed that Meghan is due in spring 2019.

when is meghan markle due with baby

Meghan herself was the one to accidentally reveal a more concrete delivery date. While in Birkenhead, England, for a public engagement in January, she told a woman in the crowd that she was currently six months along and that Baby Sussex would arrive between the end of April and the beginning of May.

was meghan markle pregnant at the wedding

No! Meghan married Harry on May 19, 2018. They announced her pregnancy on October 15, 2018. According to a number of sources, when they shared the news, Meghan had just had her 12-week ultrasound. That means conception occurred approximately two and a half months post-wedding in July(ish).

was meghan markle married before

Yep, she was married to Trevor Engelson, a movie producer, from 2011 to 2013. They were together for close to seven years before they wed.

were there any kids from meghan markle s first marriage

Nope.

how old are prince harry and meghan markle

Prince Harry is 34 and Meghan is 37.

why should i care about the royal baby

Aside from the fact that he or she will be in line for the throne (more on that later), Baby Sussex will be the first biracial baby born into the British royal family—a big deal in an institution that is infamous for its centuries-old lack of diversity, which many argue has been deliberate. (The only potential exception is with Queen Charlotte circa the 1700s, who is a direct descendent of the Portuguese royal family which had roots in Africa, according to Time.)

does meghan markle have any morning sickness

Unlike her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, who suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute form of morning sickness that affects approximately one in every 100 pregnant women, Meghan revealed that she was “feeling pretty great so far” and “running on adrenaline.” That said, she also told a reporter at Sky News that “pregnancy was like having jet lag.”

is meghan markle s baby a boy or a girl

Officially, the royal pair has decided to keep the gender a surprise. But, at Meghan’s recent baby shower in New York City, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten (who ran point on the desserts) posted a video on Instagram that showed a lot of pink (and green) confections.

does prince harry have a preference if royal baby is a boy or girl

Our guess is no. But at the Invictus Games cycling competition in October, a video captured a woman in the crowd yelling at the prince: “I hope it’s a girl!” Harry’s cheeky reply? “So do I!”

is there a chance meghan markle is having twins

It’s not likely, but when Amal Clooney arrived at Meghan’s NYC baby shower with not one, but two identical gifts, Twitter went wild.

any insight on meghan markle s baby name

Royal experts agree that if it’s a girl, it will most likely be Victoria (an homage to Queen Victoria), Alice (Prince Philip’s mother) or Elizabeth (the current—and long-reigning—queen).

which baby name should we bet on meghan markle

We have no idea. But there’s one wild card worth keeping in mind: Diana. The Duke and Duchess care immensely about his mother’s legacy—and a lot of royal bookies are predicting this name as number one. (Spencer—Diana’s maiden name—is also in the running if it’s a boy.)

how much can you win for guessing meghan markle baby name right

Let’s just say that when Kate Middleton was pregnant with her third child, there were bets as high as 20,000 pounds that his name would be Arthur. In other words...somebody lost a lot of money.

what are the chances that baby sussex will be king or queen

The line of succession places Harry and Meghan’s firstborn baby at seventh in line to the throne. This means that he or she will become king or queen after Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince Harry.

could meghan markle baby be president

Meghan could end up denouncing her American citizenship—usually a way to avoid paying U.S. income taxes—but if she holds onto it, the baby would legally be able to run for president. Of course, it’d be tricky to be both a monarch and a POTUS at the same time. In fact, there’s a clause in the U.S. constitution that requires permission from Congress to do so.

will meghan markle baby have red hair

Possibly! Since red hair comes via a recessive gene called MC1R, both parents have to have it for it to be passed down to their child.

what will meghan markle s baby s title be

Per an ancient royal family rule, the titles of “prince” and “princess” are reserved for children or grandchildren of the monarch. If Baby Sussex is a boy, he will likely inherit the title, Earl of Dumbarton which is one of the lesser official titles that Harry received on his wedding day. But if it’s a girl, she will simply be known as Lady Mountbatten-Windsor (Harry and Meghan’s surname). The only caveat: Queen Elizabeth could step in and make an exception as she did for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and grant the kid prince(ss) status. (George is the eldest son of the eldest son of Prince Charles, so he’s an automatic prince.)

what do these titles enable meghan markle baby to do

Not a ton. Instead, earl, lord and lady are courtesy titles, used for children (or former wives) with a relation to royalty.

where will meghan markle give birth

While Kate Middleton and Princess Diana both delivered at the Lindo Wing inside St. Mary’s Hospital in London, Meghan has been exploring other options closer to their new home. The top contender? Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey County, which is just a 30-minute drive away.

will baby sussex grow up at kensington palace

Nope, in November Harry and Meghan announced their plans to relocate to Frogmore Cottage, a royal residence for more than 300 years.

where is frogmore cottage

It’s about an hour outside of London. It’s also the same spot where Harry and Meghan took their official engagement portraits one year ago and the same location where they held their second private wedding reception.

any details on the royal nursery for meghan markle

Apparently, the duke and duchess have opted for a gender-neutral one and are using all eco-friendly materials to build out the space, according to a recent report in Vanity Fair.

has meghan markle hired a nanny

Not yet. The current plan is to rely on the help of Doria Ragland, Meghan’s L.A.-based mom.

is meghan markle s mom doria ragland moving into frogmore cottage

Let’s just say their renovations at Frogmore Cottage include setting up a spare room that’s just for Doria. (They’re also building a separate house for a nanny, just in case.)

is meghan markle s mom excited about the royal baby

According to Kensington Palace, Meghan’s mother stated that she “is very happy about [her daughter’s pregnancy] news, and she looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild.”

is prince harry excited about the royal baby

Sure, but he’s also nervous. At a press conference in Sydney, Australia, as part of his royal tour with Meghan, he got a bit jittery, saying, “We genuinely couldn’t think of a better place to announce the…er…upcoming…um…baby.” (There’s even a video clip.)

are george charlotte and louis excited about meghan markle baby

Well, their mom Kate Middleton basically speaks for them all. At a recent event in Leicester, England, when asked about the arrival of Baby Sussex, she opened up: “It’s such a special time to have little kiddies. And a cousin for George and Charlotte, as well, and Louis. It’ll be really special.”

has meghan had any pregnancy cravings

Not of the food variety—at least none that she’s mentioned publicly. She has been craving a good yoga session, something she admitted to a crowd of well-wishers in Bristol, England.

does meghan markle have any favorite maternity brands1

So far, she’s been partial to Hatch, stepping out in a black, skin-tight, crew-neck dress to visit one of her royal patronages. She also wore Hatch maternity jeans for her baby shower in New York City.

does the duchess have any favorite non maternity brands

That’s the crazy thing: Even as she enters her third trimester, Meghan has mostly worn non-maternity attire. (What? How! We’re so confused!) Instead, she opts for bump-hugging styles from brands like Givenchy, Carolina Herrera, even H&M.

is meghan markle still wearing heels while pregnant

Yes—and fancy four-inch stilettos at that. We’ve got two theories: 1. Royal feet don’t swell. 2. She’s wearing two sizes larger than typical—her favorite foot-friendly hack.

did prince harry give up alcohol for meghan markle pregnancy

According to The Sun, the Duke of Sussex is taking a hard pass on the booze in support of Meghan for all 40 weeks of her pregnancy. What a guy.

where are meghan markle and prince harry registered for baby

They’re not—it’s a royal no-no to ask for lavish gifts they can afford themselves. (Remember Harry and Meghan’s charity registry request for their wedding?)

what went down at meghan markle s nyc baby shower

So much. It was co-hosted by Meghan’s bestie Serena Williams and her other BFF Amal Clooney at the Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side. As for activities, no onesie decorating here. Instead, Meghan’s American guests had a flower-arranging lesson (and later donated the blooms to charity) and a dessert tasting experience led by Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

why are the clooneys so involved with meghan markle

So, Harry and George met at a charity event a couple of years ago, but supposedly Meghan and Amal are now the closer friends, texting frequently and bonding over visits to the Clooney’s Lake Como lake house. It also helps that Amal is a humanitarian, much like Meghan, and also UK-based.

why didn t prince harry go to meghan markle baby shower

This was a girls-only trip. Harry was home in London working the royal charity circuit and meeting and greeting volunteers at a youth center on behalf of something called the “Fit and Fed” campaign, designed to promote a healthy lifestyle in children.

how much did the new york baby shower for meghan markle cost

It was a cool $200,000—paid for partially by Serena Williams (she covered the cost of the penthouse suite at the Mark Hotel, which goes for $75,000 a night) and Amal Clooney (who footed the bill for Meghan to fly round trip on the Clooney’s private jet).

will meghan markle have a uk baby shower

If she does, it won’t be as splashy as the one in New York, since the royal family finds it gauche to ask for gifts.

have prince william and kate middleton offered meghan markle any parenting advice

Not that we’ve heard about, but we do know that the fab four—Harry, Meghan, Will and Kate—have a group text chain, perfect for pinging each other about things like diaper changes and sleep training.

who will be the royal godparents to meghan markle royal baby

We won’t know until Baby Sussex actually arrives, but since the royal family typically chooses from among their close friends and peers, you’ll find a range of relatives and British and American pals all in the running. This includes everyone from Princess Eugenie, Harry’s first cousin, to Priyanka Chopra and George and Amal.

will prince harry be a good dad

Watch him interact with any child and it appears this guy was born to be a dad. He’s not only working on his dad jokes, he’s a pro at crouching down to eye level to interact with kids.

will meghan markle be a good mom

Like her husband, Meghan is a pro at getting on the same eye level as the kids she’s speaking to, a smart way to gain their confidence and trust. She’s also open to wearing pasta necklaces and doesn’t flinch at pre-teens dropping F-bombs. What’s more, she has an excellent role model in her own mother, who raised her solo from age six onward.

will thomas markle be a part of meghan markle s life

As of right now, it’s not looking promising. With Thomas Markle frequently opening up to the tabloids, his relationship with his daughter has been rocky to say the least. That’s not to say that Meghan isn’t open to a reconciliation. (Pre-wedding, she penned a heartfelt letter to her dad expressing her worries about his health.) Royal time will tell.

is meghan markle ready for the royal baby

Vanity Fair reports she has been seeing an acupuncturist regularly now that she’s in her third trimester, which is great for boosting blood flow to the uterus as her due date approaches, not to mention coping with all that (royal) stress.

what s meghan markle s birthing plan

Friends told Vanity Fair that Meghan is considering trying out hypno-birthing, a breathing technique that helps alleviate labor pain, in the service of a natural birth. The Sun also reports that Meghan has hired a doula—a royal first.

when does meghan markle start maternity leave

No official word from Kensington Palace, but Kate Middleton kicked off her mat leave approximately one month before she gave birth to Prince Louis, if that’s any indication.

who will tell me when the royal baby arrives

PureWow, of course! Check back any time for updates!


Rachel Bowie Headshot

Royal family expert, a cappella alum, mom

Rachel Bowie is Senior Director of Special Projects & Royals at PureWow, where she covers parenting, fashion, wellness and money in addition to overseeing initiatives within...