The Truth About The Hospital Meghan Markle Gave Birth In

Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry at St. Mary's Hospital in London, as did Kate Middleton when she welcomed her three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis (via Marie Claire). When Meghan Markle gave birth to her first child, it was also in London, at Portland Hospital (via Town & Country). This was a slight departure from tradition, as was her decision not to be photographed directly after Archie's birth (via Reader's Digest).

Of course, when Harry and Meghan essentially left the royal family to move to Montecito, California, they bucked tradition even more. And now, the couple has welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor far from Buckingham Palace (via People). In a statement, it was confirmed that "Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA."

So what do we know about Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital? For starters, it is just ten minutes by car from the mansion where Harry and Meghan live according to the Daily Mail.

Daily Mail reports the hospital where Lili was born is a not-for-profit center set up by 50 women that host 2,400 births annually. It may have appealed to Meghan as a place to welcome her little girl, given that the Duchess of Sussex has spoken often about her passion for empowering women (via Us Weekly).

Consider that on International Day of the Girl in 2019, Meghan said, "Every girl has potential. She has promise. She has the right to learn, the right to be heard, the right to play, and to discover. The right to be exactly who she is."

Interestingly, as Hello! notes, Meghan could have chosen Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to give birth, which boasts one of the most luxe maternity wards in the world. But given that this hospital is almost 90 miles away from where the family lives, clearly Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital was a better choice.

It's worth noting that according to U.S. News, this is a high performing medical center.