As the entire world now knows, Meghan Markle gave birth to a baby boy in the early hours of Monday, May 6th. Now, royal watchers are awaiting the first glimpse of Baby Sussex with baited breath. And whatever Meghan and Prince Harry have planned, it's sure to be history making in plenty of ways. It also may be sooner than we think.
The couple previously revealed that there would be no photo call hours after the birth of their first child—like Kate Middleton and Prince William have done with all three of their children. Ever since, there has been non-stop speculation about how and when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would introduce the newest member of the royal family.
Harry himself offered a clue as to when the highly-anticipated introduction would take place when he surprised a group of reporters by holding an impromptu press conference on Monday afternoon in front of the stables at Windsor Castle. After praising his wife ("I'm so incredibly proud of her") and gushing over his son ("The little thing is to die for"), Harry said, "I think we’ll be seeing you guys in probably two days time as planned, as a family, to be able to share it with you guys so everyone can see the baby.”
"As planned," he said. Despite their penchant for bucking royal tradition, it appears the new parents made plans for a family photo call after all.
"A photo call was always going to happen within days of the birth, but there was some concern over where the duchess would deliver and how much time she would need to recover, so the plan was intentionally fluid," a palace source revealed. "The arrangements are now in place for a photo call in Windsor, but it will not be at [the couple's new home] Frogmore Cottage."
According to the royal source, the duke and duchess will also be posting photographs the same day on Instagram for their more than six million followers.
The reason for all the secrecy surrounding the birth is said to have stemmed from the palace's concern over the delivery itself. Meghan very much wanted and had been planning a home birth with her own team of female doctors on call. But according to the Daily Mail, those plans were dashed and she was secretly whisked off to a hospital by Harry and a team from Scotland Yard when Baby Sussex was a full week overdue. The names of the hospital and physician, as well as the location of the birth, were not included in the customary announcement placed on an easel in front of Buckingham Palace—nor were they in the @SussexRoyal and @royalfamily posts on Instagram.
It's unlikely the couple will reveal all the details surrounding the birth at the photo call, but there are high hopes we might learn Baby Sussex's name by then. At Monday's press conference, Harry said he and his wife were “still thinking about names,” explaining “the baby’s a little bit overdue, so we’ve had a little bit of time to think about it, but that’s the next bit." And for more royals, check out Here’s Why Kate Middleton Takes the Official Photos of Her Children Herself.
Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana: The Secrets of Her Style.
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