What we know so far about the upcoming royal baby arrival

Author: CAROLINE LINTON/ CBS News
Published:
(AP Photo/Frank Augstein, archive)

Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, are expecting their first child this spring.

Where will the baby be born? Did the couple choose a name? And, do we know the gender? Here are some answers to those questions — and more:

When is Meghan Markle’s due date?

Harry and Meghan have not confirmed the exact due date of their royal baby, but a source told Entertainment Tonight that Meghan told a fan her due date is the end of April or the beginning of May.

The new baby could share a birthday with some royal relatives. Queen Elizabeth will turn 93 on April 21. Princess Charlotte’s birthday is May 2, and Prince Louis will turn one on April 23.

Royal baby gender and name

Harry and Meghan haven’t publicly said whether the baby is a boy or a girl — or even if they found out the baby’s sex ahead of the birth. Sunday Times royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah reported in January that Meghan told a fan they were not finding out because they wanted to keep it a “surprise.”

Oddsmakers Ladbrokes appear to be putting the odds in favor of a girl, giving Elizabeth a 6/1 chance of the being the baby’s name, followed by Diana or Victoria at 8/1. After that, Ladbrokes put Albert at a 12/1 chance, the same as Philip and Grace.

As for the baby’s surname, it’s unclear what Harry and Meghan are planning to do. Officially, the royal family’s surname is Mountbatten-Windsor, but both Harry and his brother, Prince William, used the surname Wales, their father’s title, when they were younger. When Harry served in the Army, he was known as “Captain Harry Wales,” according to BBC News.

They could also use their title, Sussex, as their surname. The children of William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, are listed as “Cambridge” on their birth certificates.

The baby may need a special decree from Queen Elizabeth to be styled as a prince or princess. According to BBC News, the rules previously stated the title prince or princess only extended down to the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (currently Prince George). Queen Elizabeth changed the rules in 2012 ahead of George’s birth so that all of his children would be princes or princesses.

Where will the baby be in the line of succession?

Harry is currently sixth in line for the throne, behind his father, Prince Charles, his brother, William, and William’s three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. As such, Harry’s child will follow him in the line of succession, at seventh.

Harry’s child will bump the rest of the royal family down a spot, putting his uncle Prince Andrew to eighth and Andrew’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to ninth and tenth and then on from there.

Did Meghan have a baby shower?

Meghan had a baby shower in New York on February 19. The intimate party at The Mark Hotel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side included big-name guests including “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King, Amal Clooney and Serena Williams, who was one of the hosts of the celebration.

King said they had flower arranging at the shower, and that arrangements were donated, at Meghan’s request, to different charities through the organization Repeat Roses.

But King would not tell co-host Norah O’Donnell what she brought as a gift.

“If I told you, Norah, I’d have to kill you. Because she didn’t open any of the gifts because she wants to do that when she goes – when she and Harry are back together. So I really don’t know what everybody got. I think I got something I think is very nice,” King said.

Where they will live as a family

Harry and Meghan officially moved earlier this month to Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of Frogmore House. It has been a royal residence since 1792 and was built in about 1680 by Charles II’s architect, according to BBC News.

The couple is doing extensive renovations on the 10-bedroom house, BBC News reports.

Where will the royal baby be born?

Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, were both born at the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital. It’s the same place where William’s three children were born.

But it’s unclear if Harry and Meghan’s new baby will be born there. Buckingham Palace said in a statement the couple made the “personal decision” to keep their birth plan private.

In a break from the tradition set by Harry’s parents and brother and sister-in-law, Harry and Meghan will not be presenting the baby to the public immediately after giving birth.

“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,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

So, where can we see baby photos?!

Since there won’t be a baby photo outside the hospital, the first photos will have to be released by Harry and Meghan. William and Catherine have previously broken with tradition and released family photos on social media, including of Prince Louis shortly after he was born.

Harry and Meghan recently started their own Instagram account, @SussexRoyal, so keep your eyes on the account.

“CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King will anchor a CBS News special “Harry and Meghan Plus One” on Friday, May 17 on CBS.

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