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.
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).
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.
The official (read: vague) statement from Kensington Palace confirmed that Meghan is due in spring 2019.
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.
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).
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.
Nope.
Prince Harry is 34 and Meghan is 37.
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.)
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.”
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.
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!”
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.
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).
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Not a ton. Instead, earl, lord and lady are courtesy titles, used for children (or former wives) with a relation to royalty.
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.
Nope, in November Harry and Meghan announced their plans to relocate to Frogmore Cottage, a royal residence for more than 300 years.
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.
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.
Not yet. The current plan is to rely on the help of Doria Ragland, Meghan’s L.A.-based mom.
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.)
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.”
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.)
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
PureWow, of course! Check back any time for updates!
