Duchess of Sussex pregnant with baby number two
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have revealed they are expecting their second child, months after the Duchess of Sussex’s tragic miscarriage.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced they are expecting their second child.
The happy news was revealed on Sunday US time by the couple in a surprise statement.
“We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,” a spokesperson for the couple said in the statement, according to Today.
A rare shot of a royal foot. (PS Archie’s going to be a big brother) pic.twitter.com/7xBb6MOnJs
— Peter Hunt (@_PeterHunt) February 14, 2021
The announcement comes exactly 37 years after Princess Dianan announced she was pregnant with Prince Harry, on Valentine’s Day in 1984.
It is not yet known when baby number two is due to arrive, with other details remaining under wraps, although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released an intimate, black-and-white photo along with the announcement that shows the former Ms Markle cradling a visible baby bump.
WORLD REACTS TO BABY NEWS
British TV host Piers Morgan doesn’t miss an opportunity to be critical of the royals, dubbing the picture “cheesy”.
BREAKING: Harry & Meghan have announced they’re pregnant and released this cheesy photo of themselves to ensure the media gives the story about their private life more prominence - in their latest courageous effort to stop the same media focusing on their private life. 👇 pic.twitter.com/wEmpDtrWBG
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2021
He was in the minority though as people took to social media to congratulate the pair, including the photographer behind their portrait, Misan Harriman.
Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow. Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!#remoteshoot #shotonipad #shotbymisan pic.twitter.com/3iSYjydVj9
— Misan Harriman (@misanharriman) February 14, 2021
Happy news! But the beautiful picture reminds me of something..... pic.twitter.com/rzvrTm9fR9
— Angela Bishop (@AngelaBishop) February 14, 2021
Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan on the announcement that Archie will become a big brother as the couple expects their second child â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/KT0dXThS43
— Saeed Atcha MBE DL (@saeedatcha) February 14, 2021
WONDERFUL NEWS AFTER HEARTBREAK
The announcement comes after the duchess revealed she had suffered a miscarriage in July 2020 in an emotional New York Times piece published last November.
RELATED: ‘Dehumanising’: Meghan’s emotional statement
In the raw op-ed, the 39-year-old described how she felt a “sharp cramp” on a July morning after changing baby Archie’s nappy.
“I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,” she wrote.
RELATED: New royal baby headlines vastly different
“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.
“Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”
The piece drew widespread praise for shining the light on pregnancy loss and breaking down the taboo often associated with it.
The couple’s new baby joy comes after a long, tumultuous period for the pair which began shortly after their May 2018 fairytale wedding.
Soon after, rumours of a royal rift between Prince Harry, 36, and elder brother Prince William began to swirl.
The arrival of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in May 2019 provided a brief respite from the speculation, but in January 2020, the newlyweds announced bombshell plans to step down from their role as senior royals in a move dubbed “Megxit” by the British press.
RELATED: William’s dangerous new Meghan fight
Since then, the royals have moved their young family to California in the US, where they have bunkered down during the coronavirus pandemic.
Their second child will be Queen Elizabeth’s 10th great-grandchild and Prince Charles’ fifth grandchild.
ROYAL BABY BOOM
The welcome announcement comes just days after Prince Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie welcomed her first child, a baby boy, with husband Jack Brooksbank.
The Queen’s granddaughter welcomed her son, who weighed 3.65kg, on Tuesday, February 9 at 8.55am, although his name has not yet been released.
Eugenie delivered her newborn at The Portland Hospital in London, where Archie was also born.
It also comes hot on the heels of the Duchess of Sussex’s High Court victory against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publishers of the Mail On Sunday and MailOnline, for misuse of private information, and infringement of copyright for publishing parts of a letter she sent to her estranged father Thomas Markle shortly after the royal wedding.
RELATED: Harry and Meghan’s surprise Zoom call
Judge Mark Warby said in his ruling Meghan “had a reasonable expectation that the contents of the letter would remain private” and that the publication of it “interfered with that reasonable expectation” and were unlawful.
Meghan then released an emotional statement soon after the ruling was announced.
“After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and the Mail On Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanising practices,” Meghan wrote in the statement.
“For me and so many others, it’s real life, real relationships and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep.”
Meanwhile, Prince Harry had previously hinted at his hopes for a second child, although he has been clear the couple would not be having a large brood.
RELATED: Meghan on verge of bombshell showdown
Two months after Archie’s birth, Harry sat for an interview with Dr Jane Goodall for UK Vogue where he discussed his passion for the environment, and parenting.
“I’ve always had a connection and a love for nature. I view it differently now, without question. But I’ve always wanted to try and ensure that, even before having a child and hoping to have children …” he said, before Dr Goodall interrupted and joked, “Not too many”.
“Two, maximum!” Harry continued.
“But I’ve always thought: this place is borrowed. And, surely, being as intelligent as we all are, or as evolved as we all are supposed to be, we should be able to leave something better behind for the next generation.”
So far, there has been no mention of the Sussex’s baby news on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s official Instagram account, or Prince Charles’, although it is understood the pair told the Queen before going public.
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