The Real Reason Harry And Meghan Made Their Baby Announcement On Valentine's Day

The news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their second baby was greeted with joy from family and fans alike. The royal couple announced they were expecting on February 14 with a beautiful photo showing Harry adoringly cradling Meghan's head on his lap as she rested her hand on her visible baby bump. People quoted a spokesperson for the couple as saying, "We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child." 

This new member of the royal family will be what's known as a "rainbow baby," coming after last summer's sad news that the duchess had suffered a miscarriage. But he or she won't have much of a claim to the actual British throne. Per The Washington Post, because Harry is currently sixth in line to the throne, the baby will be eighth, after big brother Archie. 

With the royal family, timing is everything. And while the Sussexes have relinquished their duties as senior royals, they still know how to select the perfect moment to let the world know of their important news. This was no exception, as those familiar with Harry's own personal history will recall.

It's no coincidence that the couple chose February 14 to announce the addition to their family. There's the obvious reason – Valentine's Day – a perfect day for the happy couple to declare their love for their expanding family. But there's an even deeper meaning to the date they selected. Prince Harry's own mother, Princess Diana, announced her pregnancy with him on February 14, 1984. A British newspaper from that date called it "Valentine's Day joy for Charles and Diana" (via Princess Diana Book Boutique). It added, "The romantic Princess chose St. Valentine's eve to break the marvelous news." Similarly, Diana and Meghan both had toddler sons at the time they became pregnant with their second children. 

But will the new Sussex baby share a birthday with Dad? Probably not. Since Harry was born on September 15, 1984 (via Insider), that suggests Diana was barely two months along when the Palace made the announcement. Judging by the Sussexes' photo, Meghan might be much farther along in her pregnancy. Given the miscarriage, it would be understandable if they wanted to wait to break the news until after the first trimester. So it wouldn't be surprising if the new baby made an appearance sometime in the summer. 

Back in 1984, the press said that Charles and Diana "have no preference whether it is a boy or a girl." A healthy baby of either gender is surely what Meghan and Harry are hoping for as well.