Meghan revealed that she was six months pregnant as she chatted to well-wishers in Birkenhead during her and Prince Harry’s first joint engagement of the year on January 14. The royal baby will thus be born in April, and could be close to Prince Louis’s birthday, on April 23, or the Queen’s birthday, on April 21.
On April 11, Buckingham Palace released a statement declaring that “Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. 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.”
It had been speculated that Meghan might choose to give birth at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, which is closer to the couple’s new home of Frogmore Cottage, rather than the Lindo Wing – where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed all three of their children. The announcement about respecting the couple’s privacy indicates that Meghan may also choose not to be photographed on the steps outside of her chosen hospital, as previous royals have done.
Will the baby’s arrival be announced via @sussexroyal, the official Instagram account of Meghan and Harry? The couple has already made the following statement regarding presents for the baby: “In lieu of sending gifts, the couple has long planned to encourage members of the public to make donations to select charities for children and parents in need.” They went on to name the organisations and thank those who had already made a donation.
