It’s the news that has royal watchers rejoicing – Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex are expecting their second child together!
Indeed the stunning black-and-white baby announcement is much welcome news after Meghan Markle revealed she tragically suffered from a miscarriage last year.
“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,” a spokesperson for the couple said in an official statement.
But now the one question on fans’ lips is when exactly is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s second baby due?
While the couple aren’t technically working members of the royal family, which gives them much more freedom in how they handle their affairs, royals don’t traditionally share their due dates or baby’s genders ahead of time – and we have no doubt that Harry and Meghan will follow from the same play book.
Case in point – when they welcomed their first-born son Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor on May 6 2019, the gender and his birthdate were announced mere hours after his arrival into the world.
So, if we had to take an educated guess – we’d say that Meghan Markle is around the 20-week mark in her pregnancy – or around four to five months pregnant.
Considering the couple lost a baby in July last year, they wouldn’t want to announce their news until they are well into their second trimester and have done all the pre-screening blood tests, known as the NIPT or harmony test, which test for chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome.
That means if Meghan is around the 20-week mark, she has another 20 weeks to go so her rough due date would be around late June or early July 2021.
Of course, this is all guess work! But judging by the size of her ample baby bump, she’s certainly past the first trimester.
The new baby will be the pair’s second child, and eighth-in-line to the throne, after their first child Archie.
Now almost two-years-old, the pair had hoped to give Archie a little brother or sister for some time.
The pair’s gorgeous black and white image also has an unexpected story behind it – it was taken remotely via an iPad by a close friend and photographer, Misan Harriman.
In the picture, which shows Meghan’s baby bump quite visibly, the Duchess’ flowing dress is by Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera.
According to a spokesperson, the pair informed The Queen and Prince Philip, as well as Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland before announcing the news publicly.
It is likely that the family will have their baby in the United States, which is where they have now moved after stepping back from their senior royal roles in 2020.