Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their first child together — and the public can’t wait for the little royal bundle of joy.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed in October that their baby is due spring 2019, 37-year-old Markle reportedly just revealed that she is six months pregnant, and due at the end of April or the beginning of May.
WATCH BELOW: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Birkenhead
According to multiple sources, Markle shared her due date with royal onlookers while chatting about motherhood during a visit to the English town of Birkenhead on Jan. 14.
Emily Nash, the royal editor at U.K.’s Hello! Magazine, tweeted the news.
Kensington Palace has not confirmed Markle’s exact due date, but it has been anticipated that the royal baby will be arriving sometime in the spring.
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What will the baby’s title be?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not yet confirmed the sex of their child, but regardless of whether they have a boy or a girl, the little one will be seventh in line to the throne.
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The newborn will be behind Prince Charles, Prince William and his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and then Prince Harry.
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Per royal tradition, dukedom can only be inherited by a male heir. The title duchess cannot be inherited by daughters, as it is received through marriage.
This means that if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a daughter, she will not be duchess unless she marries a duke.
As William Bortrick, the chairman of Burke’s Peerage, told People, it’s customary for the eldest son of a duke to eventually inherit his father’s title. Meaning if 34-year-old Prince Harry and Markle have a boy, he could have the title Earl of Dumbarton — the secondary Sussex title — before inheriting the dukedom.
WATCH BELOW: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry get baby advice from Birkenhead residents on royal visit
If Prince Harry and Markle have more children, sons will be known as Lord (their name) Windsor, while daughters will be called Lady (their name) Windsor.
But royal customs may be tossed aside if Queen Elizabeth does what she did with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s kids.
Instead of giving the children traditional titles, the Queen issued a new Letters Patent in 2012 that gave royal titles to all three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children. For example, five-year-old George is officially called Prince George of Cambridge.
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Before the change in law, royal rules stated that “prince,” “princess” and “Royal Highness” were reserved for children of the monarch, children of the sons of a monarch, and finally, the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, Maclean’s reported.
If Prince Harry and Markle’s child is to inherit a prince or princess title, the Queen would need to issue a new Letters Patent approving the move.
So, in other words, the future royal baby’s title is largely in the hands of the Queen.
Laura.Hensley@globalnews.ca
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