Prime News Ghana

Meghan pregnant and expecting royal baby next spring

By Mutala Yakubu
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

The Duchess of Sussex (Meghan) is pregnant and is due to give birth next spring, Kensington Palace has revealed.

The announcement came as Meghan, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, arrived in Sydney on Monday ahead of a 16-day tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Kensington Palace said the couple, who got married in Windsor five months ago, were "delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public".

Their baby will be seventh in line to the throne.

The Queen and other senior royals were told about the pregnancy on Friday, when members of the Royal Family gathered in Windsor for Princess Eugenie's wedding.

Meghan - who has had her 12 week scan - attended the wedding with Prince Harry, wearing a long, dark blue coat, which sparked speculation she could be expecting.

That speculation intensified when she was seen clutching two large folders in front of her stomach as she arrived in Sydney for the tour, which will also take in Fiji and Tonga.

It is their first official royal tour since their wedding, which also took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor.

Their first engagement is on Tuesday, when crowds of wellwishers are expected to congratulate the couple.

The duke and duchess follow in the footsteps of Prince Harry's parents - Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales - whose first royal tour was to Australia and New Zealand.

Their baby will be a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - but will not be a prince or princess themselves unless the Queen steps in ahead of the birth.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman said the children will be lord and lady "like the children of any other duke", because Prince Harry is not in the direct line of succession.


The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall are all said to be "delighted" for the couple after learning of the pregnancy at Friday's wedding.
Doria 'very happy'

And the mother of the duchess, Doria Ragland, is "very happy about this lovely news" and "looks forward to welcoming her first grandchild".

Prime Minister Theresa May has also congratulated the couple, saying: "My warmest congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the happy news they are expecting a baby in the spring. Wishing them all the best."


UK journalists in Australia for the royal tour were told the news by phone from London shortly after their arrival, as shown in a photograph from royal expert Emily Nash.

There are not expected to be any changes to the itinerary for their trip, despite the duchess's pregnancy. They have taken advice about the risk of the Zika virus in the Pacific Islands.

Read also:Princess Eugenie makes bold statement with wedding dress revealing scars
The virus is linked to severe birth defects and was declared as a global medical emergency by the World Health Organization in 2016.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list Fiji and Tonga as "areas with risk of Zika infection". Ideally, pregnant women should not travel to these areas but, if they do, they should talk to their doctor first and take measures to prevent mosquito bites.

Source: bbc