Meghan And Harry's Royal Baby: Everything You Need To Know

Meghan and Harry's royal baby finally arrived in May 2019, after what felt like forever! Kensington Palace broke the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were expecting back in 1975 — wait, that's not right — but that is how long it's felt. In all seriousness, we found out Meghan Markle was pregnant in October 2018 and, at the time, the Palace also revealed a super vague due date of "spring of 2019." Suffice to say, most of us have been coping with royal baby fever ever since we first heard of Meghan's pregnancy — not that we're mad about it.

Then, in the wee morning hours of Monday, May 6, 2019, Meghan and Prince Harry welcomed their first child. The royal couple has kept private some details surrounding the birth of their baby (as is their right), but they have slowly started to let the world in on the excitement. Yes, that means we have the deets! We even have reports that the new parents may have lied to all of us about one very important detail about baby. If you've been jonesing for the latest info about Meghan and Harry's little bundle of joy — and we know you have — you'll want to keep reading.

Not long after Buckingham Palace issued a statement announcing that Meghan Markle had gone into labor, an official birth announcement was posted to Meghan and husband Prince Harry's official Instagram feed. "It's a boy!" read the post. In the caption, the couple revealed that their son weighed 7 lbs., 3 oz. at birth and that mom and baby were both "healthy and well." The new parents also promised to share more details in the near future and thanked "members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives."

An official statement by the royal family was also issued and posted to their site, royal.uk, which provided us with a few more tidbits about the newest royal, including his exact time of birth. Meghan and Harry's son entered the world bright and early at 5:26 a.m. The statement also revealed that Harry was present for the birth and that Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, was staying with her first grandchild and the new parents at the family's home in Frogmore Cottage. What a nice new grandma!

The royal family did not disclose Meghan's due date during — or after — her pregnancy. However, Harry's first interview as a new dad revealed a pretty big clue. When asked if they'd thought of a name yet, Harry revealed that they were still weighing their options, but admitted that they had had more time to decide because the baby was "a little bit overdue." Wait, what? Harry's comment indicates that Meghan was obviously due at some point prior to May 6, 2019. Most of us, however, could've gone on believing the new royal was right on time.

In January 2019, royal expert Emily Nash tweeted a conversation she'd allegedly overheard. She wrote, "Meghan has told wellwishers in Birkenhead that she is six months pregnant — due end of April/beginning of May!" That April, Cosmopolitan set about calculating Meghan's "exact" due date. After piecing together various clues, the publication revealed their best estimate: "around May 10," which would make the baby a Taurus. Turned out the magazine was were pretty darn close.

A year before Meghan and Harry welcomed their son, Kate Middleton and Prince William had their third child. At the time, Kate made headlines for leaving the hospital and posing for photos with William and newborn son Prince Louis a mere seven hours after giving birth. As a way to introduce the newest prince to the public, the couple's pictures were taken on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's — the hospital where Kate delivered all three of her children and where Princess Diana delivered William and Harry.

Many, of course, wondered if Harry and Meghan would follow suit. However, the speculation was squashed in mid-April 2019. "Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private," Buckingham Palace revealed (via Reuters). "The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."

In lieu of the same-day reveal, Harry gave an interview shortly after his son's arrival and the couple waited to introduce their little one until two days after his birth and from inside Windsor Castle — where the couple married one year prior.

In addition to posing for pictures and introducing their little one to the world, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke with the media about the new addition to their family. And, at just two days old, the baby's personality was already starting to show to his parents. Meghan revealed that her newborn son "has the sweetest temperament." She added, "He's really calm." Harry quipped, "I wonder who he gets that from."

Both parents were all smiles when talking about their baby boy. "It's magic," Meghan said when asked about parenthood. "It's pretty amazing and, I mean, I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy." It was obvious Harry felt the same about being a first-time dad. "We are so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy," he explained. The parents didn't reveal a name during the brief interview, but Meghan chuckled at the little one being dubbed "baby Sussex."

After introducing their newborn to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared their son's name with the world via Instagram. The caption of their social media post read, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased to announce they have named their first born child: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor."

It's a name that certainly caught many by surprise. As CNN World reported, "The name is believed to have little precedent within the modern British royal family." That's right, folks, they didn't go with a traditional moniker as many people — even experts — assumed they would.

A month prior to Archie's birth, royal expert Katie Nicholl told Time, "There's a lot of speculation that Meghan's going to want to go for something quite untraditional, possibly an American name or a modern name." While she said "it's possible," she thought the couple wouldn't buck tradition. Instead, she felt the soon-to-be parents would choose a name that reflected "the family tree." Nevertheless, Meghan and Harry picked the non-family name Archie, which is diminutive of Archibald and is a name not of British origin, but German. According to nameberry.com, the name means "truly brave."

Were you surprised to see Archie's last name listed as Mountbatten-Windsor? You may have assumed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's child would take the same last name as Prince William and Kate Middleton's kiddos since, after all, Harry and William are brothers. But it's not quite that simple. As Prince Louis' birth certificate revealed, his full name is written as "His Royal Highness Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge." Phew, that's a mouthful. 

Royal expert Marlene Koenig explained to Town & Country that "Cambridge" — William's dukedom — acts as William and Kate's children's last name. Harry and Meghan could've decided on a similar pattern for Archie. As they are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the child could've used Sussex as a last name.

The other viable option — which we now know is what they picked — was to use the hyphenated last names of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II's descendants: Mountbatten-Windsor. Oh, and if you're wondering why they didn't just opt for Meghan's maiden name, Markle, it's because it wasn't actually an option. The expert explained that the duchess renounced it upon marrying into the royal family.

It was all too easy to assume that Meghan delivered her and Harry's son in a home birth, as many had assumed she would. After all, Prince Harry spoke with reporters outside of the couple's home very soon after the baby's arrival. The official statement issued by the royal family also seemed to indicate a home birth since Meghan's mom was said to be "with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage."

After the birth announcement was placed on the easel at Buckingham palace, royal expert and commentator Emily Andrews tweeted a picture and wrote, "He was born at Frogmore Cottage, but unlike other royal baby announcements the midwife/[doctors] who delivered him aren't named as [Meghan and Harry] wanted to keep it private."

Later that afternoon, however, Andrews issued a correction. "We were led to believe by palace aides that baby Sussex was born at Frogmore Cottage, but in fact he arrived at private London hospital the Portland." According to BBC, the Portland is the only private maternity hospital in the UK and it's also where the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, gave birth.

Long before Meghan was even pregnant, writer and editor Greg Pollowitz took to Twitter to muse about potential royal babies. "Prince Harry's kids will be Americans," he speculated in the now-viral tweet. "What if one grows up to be a president and is in line for the throne at the same time?" While that's highly unlikely, it is true that baby Sussex is both British and American.

As of this writing, Meghan is not yet a British citizen because in order to apply for citizenship, she has to have lived in the UK for several years at least. According to royal expert Marlene Koenig, Meghan will eventually have the choice to renounce her U.S. citizenship once she officially becomes a Brit, but she doesn't necessarily have to. "If she remains a U.S. national, her children will have dual nationality just like Madeleine of Sweden's children," the expert told Town & Country. Koenig expects Archie will eventually renounce his American citizenship "for tax purposes" because the United States "may be the only country that taxes the income of citizens who live outside the country" — and that starts pretty much at birth. 

Archie isn't going to quite remember his first meet-and-greet with the queen. This is because it happened when he was just two days old. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry introduced their son to the public just prior to visiting with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.

"We just bumped into the Duke as we were walking by which was so nice," Meghan told reporters at Windsor Castle when asked about going to see the queen and Philip. She continued, saying, "So, it'll be a nice moment to introduce the baby to more family." Harry joked, "Another great-grandchild. Another." Indeed.

At 93 years of age, the queen has welcomed four children, eight grandchildren, and, now, eight great-grandchildren. This means little Archie has plenty of royal playmates to choose from. With just a year between him and his cousin Prince Louis, we expect that the two will soon be as thick as thieves.

Luckily for Archie, he was able to move into a freshly renovated home and nursery right after his birth. Although, we don't think the royal baby will notice much. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially relocated to their new digs at Frogmore Cottage not long before their son's arrival. But, even before moving to Windsor, the royal expert revealed Meghan's clear vision for her baby's room.

Nicholl explained, "According to sources who are helping with [their new home] renovations, the nursery itself is going to be very modern. Don't expect to see any baby pink or baby blue." She continued, adding, "Apparently, it's going to be a monochrome palette — whites and grays, I'm told, will be the color theme for baby Sussex's nursery." Now that Harry and Meghan have their own Instagram account, we can only hope they'll give us a sneak peek into their son's sleek nursery. The people need nursery decorating ideas!

Harry and Meghan's son was not born a prince like William and Kate's sons. This is because their little one is too far removed from the throne. However, royal expert Victoria Arbiter told Global News that Archie could have a title. Prior to the baby boy's birth, she speculated, "If a boy comes along, he will likely be the Earl of Dumbarton, one of Harry's subsidiary titles."

Although the royal family has remained mum about the subject, the Daily Mail's royal correspondent Rebecca English revealed on Twitter, "I've had it confirmed Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will have no title. He will simply be Master Archie."

And, just when you think you've got this all figured out, the child's title — or lack of title, as the case may be — is subject to change when Charles becomes king. At that point, Archie wouldn't be too far removed and, according to Arbiter, could "technically become" His Royal Highness Prince Archie. English added, "The thing is, Charles has been clear he wants to slim down monarchy. He may issue new letters patent and so this baby wouldn't be eligible." We'll just have to wait and see!

Whenever a new royal baby is born, there's a lot of hubbub about prospective godparents. According to royal expert Victoria Arbiter, royal parents choose godparents who will help the child throughout their "spiritual journey." Whom the royals choose is not stipulated by the Church — nor the Queen — of England. So, who will Meghan and Harry choose for this task?

"It's likely we'll see close friends of Harry and Meghan, close friends of Diana and her family, and, perhaps, close friends of Prince Charles, too," Arbiter revealed to Global News. Meghan's close friend Jessica Mulroney could also reportedly be chosen, as Arbiter noted that she's been "an amazing friend" and that she's married to the son of a former Canadian prime minister. More than likely, though, Meghan will not choose her sister-in-law Kate Middleton — but this isn't anything personal.

At around the time of Prince George's birth, royal expert Claudia Joseph told USA Today that Harry, along with Kate's sister Pippa, would not be considered as godparents because "they already have very important roles in [the baby's] life" as the uncle and aunt, respectively. If history repeats itself, this means Kate and even William are out of the running as Archie's godparents.

Now that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby has arrived, the line of succession to the British throne has changed. "This baby will be seventh in line, right behind dad Prince Harry," Global News reported ahead of Archie's arrival. Although the royal baby wasn't even given the title of prince at birth, as royal expert Victoria Arbiter had speculated when speaking to the publication, it is technically possible that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's little one could end up ruling as king one day — but you shouldn't count on it. "It's very unlikely that this baby will ever be monarch," the royal expert explained. "It would take a catastrophe of unforeseen circumstances if we were to wipe out Charles and the entire Cambridge clan."

Unfortunately — or perhaps fortunately — for Queen Elizabeth II's third child, Prince Andrew, Archie took his place as the seventh in the line of succession and bumped him down to eighth from the throne. As such, his two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, also got bumped to ninth and tenth in the line of succession, respectively. Whoops.

Archie is quickly becoming a fashion icon. Although the littlest royal wasn't exactly old enough to answer the ever-popular "who are you wearing?" question, we do have the deets on the royal baby's meet-the-world ensemble. Royal expert Emily Andrews revealed on Twitter, "[Baby Sussex] has been wrapped in a very traditional merino wool 'Leaves & Flowers' shawl from royal favourites GH Hurt & Son."

Meghan and Harry's little guy may not have a conventional name, but his parents made sure to introduce him swathed in something very traditional. The expert further revealed that William and Kate chose a shawl made by the very same company when presenting George, Charlotte, and Louis to the public.

People reported that Prince William also debuted a shawl from the same company when he was a newborn, and, according to a Nottingham Post interview with the company's director, Gillian Taylor, the company even made a shawl for Prince Charles back when he was born in 1948. A statement from the company shared by Andrews explained that the shawl was produced in England and has a "large but light and airy feel" and is "perfect to wrap a baby." Perfect, indeed.

On July 6, 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle followed royal tradition and had their little one baptized. Unlike what the public may have expected, Archie's christening ceremony was very private. "I've covered five or six christenings during my royal career and I've never come across such secrecy," royal expert Ingrid Seward revealed to Today.

Although the couple did provide two official portraits after the ceremony, the media was not invited to take photographs before or after the event, and the identities of Archie's godparents were not revealed, despite that usually being standard. Queen Elizabeth II was also not in attendance — apparently due to having made prior commitments.

"Meghan and Harry want this to be a completely private moment, very much in keeping with how they've said they wanted to raise this baby," royal expert and commentator Katie Nicholl told Today. That's all well and good, but not everyone agrees that the new parents are entitled to such privacy. "They can't have it both ways," royal biographer Penny Junor told the Sunday Times (via CNN). "Either they are totally private, pay for their own house and disappear out of view, or play the game the way it is played."

According to the royal family, Archie was born in the early morning hours on May 6, 2019. Not long after the official birth announcement was made, though, people began to question the birthdate of Meghan and Harry's royal baby. An idea spread that Archie was actually some two weeks older than stated.

This theory stems from the interview Harry and Meghan gave while introducing their son to the public. When asked which parent Archie resembled, Harry replied, saying, "Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks, so we're sort of monitoring how this changing process happens over this next month really." It's an innocuous statement — or so it would seem. But, what if that's not actually what he said? 

As SheKnows reported, some fans think Harry actually slipped up and said, "Everyone says that the baby has changed so much over two weeks." And, as it happens, there were reports of an ambulance outside Meghan and Harry's home — plus a home visit from the queen — two weeks prior. It's an interesting theory. However, Archie's official birth certificate confirms the May 6th birthday.