On Valentine’s Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced some exciting news: the couple is expecting their second child! They currently have one boy, Archie, who is a year and 9 months old. The couple confirmed that Archie, seventh in line to the throne, is “going to be a big brother”. Harry and Meghan issued a statement reporting that they are “overjoyed” to be expecting another baby. They reportedly told their families before publicly releasing the news on Sunday.
Harry and Meghan shared a black and white picture of themselves under a tree, resting on one another as Meghan affectionately cradles her baby bump. There is no publicly known due date, but the bump is visible in the photo. The couple also did not reveal whether they knew the baby’s gender. This photo was posted by Misan Harriman, the couple’s spokesperson. Some sources say that this reveal has a connection with Diana, Harry’s late mother. She, too, made headlines on Valentine’s Day in 1984 when she announced that she was pregnant with her second child. This pregnancy followed a tragic miscarriage in the summer. Unfortunately, Meghan lost her unborn baby in July of 2020. She spoke out about it in November and described it as “unbearable grief”.
While this new child will be born into the British royal family, it is likely that he or she will be American-born, as Harry and Meghan are now living in Santa Barbara County, California. This new home for the royal family is near Markle’s childhood home. Many are questioning the new baby’s citizenship; Archie was born in London, as a British-born citizen but may later choose to claim American citizenship through his mother, Meghan. The new Sussex baby will automatically be an American citizen, enabling him to vote and do a myriad of things, including possibly running for President of the United States in the future. As Prince Harry’s child, he may also claim British citizenship when he reaches adulthood if he chooses.
According to USA Today, “The new baby will be the 10th or 11th great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99. Archie was the eighth…”.
Congratulations were sent overseas to the couple from the queen of England, her husband and the entire royal family to the happy couple. Buckingham Palace issued a statement from the family declaring their delight and wishing the family the best with their new child.
This new child will be eighth in line for the throne, just after Archie and Harry. However, the second Sussex baby will likely not get a title from the queen, as Harry and Meghan turned one down for their first child, Archie. This is a result of Harry and Meghan’s decision to step away from their roles as part of the royal family and move to North America in search of freedom, privacy and more financial liberty. The couple was able to delay the news of the new baby until they were ready to release it—this new privacy is due to their stepping away as senior royals.
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