Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed a baby boy!
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the happy news of their newborn son on their Instagram account, @SussexRoyal, which they launched on April 2nd.
In the caption of their happy announcement, the proud parents wrote, “We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019. Their Royal Highnesses’ son weighs 7lbs. 3oz.”
“The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days,” the message stated.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, is with her daughter and grandson at Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor residence that Harry and Meghan moved into last month, and Ragland is “overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild,” according to Buckingham Palace.
Royal family members — including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate — and relatives of Princess Diana, Harry’s late mother, were notified of the baby’s birth and are “delighted with the news.”
A Kensington Palace aide said William and Kate, Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, “are overjoyed and looking forward to meeting the latest addition to the family.”
Following royal tradition, a framed notice of the birth of Harry and Meghan’s son was put out on display on a ceremonial easel Monday at the gates of Buckingham Palace, ABC News reports.
An official birth notice is on display outside Buckingham Palace as Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome a baby boy. https://t.co/zOIs2NTYs1 pic.twitter.com/16Dy7ExhWi
— ABC News (@ABC) May 6, 2019
The royal couple had previously announced that they would keep the arrival of their child more private, which meant that royal fans would not expect to see Meghan and the baby pose on the steps of the hospital like Kate did after giving birth to each of her three children.
However, fans will get to see Meghan and the baby soon, as the new family of three will pose for a photo-op on the grounds of Windsor Castle, PEOPLE reports.
Speaking with the press on Monday about the birth of his son, Harry confirmed that they will be sharing a first look at the new family in about two days.
As Harry spoke with the press about his son, the new father was beaming with joy.
“As every father and parent would ever say, you know, your baby is absolutely amazing,” Harry said with a smile on his face. “But this little thing is absolutely to die for, so I’m just over the moon.”
The Duke of Sussex announces his wife has given birth to a baby boy.
Follow the latest on the #royalbaby here: https://t.co/8KSPsa3ufS pic.twitter.com/xE4qo9Ct3v
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 6, 2019
“It’s been the most amazing experience I could ever possibly imagine,” Harry added. “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we’re both absolutely thrilled and so grateful to all the love and support from everybody out there. It’s been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody.”
Harry also said that mother and baby are “doing incredibly well” and that he was “so incredibly proud of [his] wife.”
When asked about a name for their new son, said that they were “still thinking about names.”
“The baby’s a little bit overdue, so we’ve had a little time to think about it. That’s the next bit,” he said.
As of right now, though, betting odds are high that the royal couple will choose either Albert, Arthur or Philip for their son’s name, HuffPost reports. But we’ll have to wait and see.
The baby will become seventh in line to the British throne, falling behind Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and his father, Prince Harry. And unlike his cousins — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — the baby will not automatically be a prince.
However, Queen Elizabeth, the baby’s great-grandmother, can step in and give him that title.
Baby Sussex is also making history as he appears to be the first mixed-race child born into the royal family. Although, some historians have noted that when Queen Charlotte married King George III in the 1700s, he was believed to have descended from the black branch of the Portuguese royal family, and the couple went on to have 15 children, according to the royal family’s website.
Harry and Meghan’s son could hold dual American and British nationality, which would be a first for a royal baby. Meghan, a California native, is still awaiting her British citizenship application to be approved.
“From what I understand, Harry and Meghan will have to acquire documentation for their child to prove U.S. citizenship and it’s not clear if they will do that but of course the option is there,” ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy said.
In the meantime, Harry and Meghan will be spending time with their new bundle of joy.
We can’t wait to see the new royal baby! And congratulations to Harry and Meghan!