The Royal Baby countdown is well and truly underway!
This week, fans were delighted when they were given an actual due date from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex themselves.
During their first joint appearance of the year, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan confirmed they’re set to welcome their first child in late April.
And while we have a million and one burning questions, from whether Meghan and Harry are having a boy or girl, why Duchess Meghan’s hair has changed during her pregnancy, what the royal baby’s title will be and the reason why Meghan is always cradling her bump, we also really want to know: Where will Meghan Markle give birth?
Most recently, Vanity Fair reported the 37-year-old mother-to-be could break with tradition and have a natural home birth at her new Windsor HQ, Frogmore House.
However given that this is Meghan’s first child, doctors will most likely advise the royal to give birth in hospital.
WATCH: Prince Harry sings Happy Birthday to a royal fan. Post continues…
On the home stretch: Duchess Meghan is six months into her pregnancy and making plans for her birth. (Image: Getty)
This week, a new report from The Sun claimed the former Suits actress is keen not to follow in sister-in-law Duchess Catherine’s footsteps and give birth at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London, where William and Kate have welcomed all three of their children.
Instead, insiders claim Meghan wants to give birth at Frimley Park in Surrey.
While St Mary’s is an NHS hospital, the luxurious Lindo Wing is a privately-run section and a maternity room there, which is more like a five-star hotel, can set you back an eye-watering £5,900 per night (about $AUD10,780).
By comparison, Frimley Park is a 750-bed public hospital – which reportedly appeals greatly to Meghan, who according to sources, “likes the fact the Surrey hospital’s maternity ward is run by the NHS.”
The hospital offers 14 labour rooms with basic facilities such as and iPod dock, birth mats and birth balls.
A tale of two Duchesses: Prince William and Duchess Catherine have welcomed all three of their babies at the exclusive Lindo Wing in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington in London. (Image: Getty)
Meghan is reportedly keen to give birth at NHS-run Frimley Park in Surrey. (Image: ITV)
There are private postnatal rooms on offer for £100 ($AUD178.41), however they do not come with their own private loos.
Meghan could also book a birthing room at the hospital’s Mulberry Birth Centre, which provide patients with a “homely environment” and help support a “birth without medical intervention.”
The drive from Frogmore House in Windsor, where they’ll most likely be living by the time the baby comes, to Frimley Park Hospital is around 25 minutes.
Of course, we won’t know for certain where the Royal Baby will be born until Duchess Meghan is in labour.
It’s likely protocol will follow the same path as Duchess Catherine’s previous births, with the palace confirming the chosen hospital once Kate was in labour.
Either way, we can’t wait to see how Duchess Meghan does things!
Want more on the Royal Baby? We’ve got you covered!
The real reason why Duchess Meghan cradles her baby bump
All the signs that Meghan Markle is having a baby girl
Duchess Meghan Markle’s best maternity fashion moments
Will Duchess Meghan break with tradition and have a home birth?
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry reveal their due date
Royal baby album: Here’s what Meghan and Harry looked like as babies
The surprising way Duchess Meghan’s hair has changed throughout her pregnancy
What will Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry’s royal baby title be?
