As the world celebrated the one-year birthday on Tuesday of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s third child, Prince Louis, idle gossip began to grow regarding another royal baby birthday. Did Meghan Markle secretly already give birth? And, if so, how long before she and Prince Harry announce the news? With mounting clues supporting the theory that baby Sussex has arrived, rumor has it little Prince Louis may not be the youngest royal in the family anymore.
A few pieces of intel specifically triggered this latest uptick in baby Sussex arrival rumors. For starters, news broke on Sunday that Meghan’s U.S.-based mom, Doria Ragland, had reportedly made the trek to England. Since it’s likely she was doing so ahead of Meghan’s due date and in anticipation of being there when her royal grandbaby arrived, it stands to reason that Meghan was due any day at that point. The Duchess of Sussex allegedly confirmed that much herself, telling a fan late last year that she was expecting the baby in late April to early May.
So, Mama Ragland’s appearance might suggest that the timeline accelerated slightly. Meghan could have been experiencing early signs of labor or possibly have been informed by her doctor that baby Sussex’s arrival was imminent. When you’re that close to the end of your pregnancy, doctor’s appointments typically take place weekly — and given that she’s a royal, perhaps even more frequently. Suffice it to say, Meghan and Harry probably had a pretty good beat on when their baby might make its big debut.
Here’s the other thing: We already know that Meghan and Harry intend to keep the baby’s arrival a secret at the start. On April 11, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on their behalf explaining their decision. “Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. 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.”
Since this breaks the 42-year royal tradition of allowing for photos to be taken on the steps of Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital upon the mother and child’s release, it’s unclear just how long Meghan and Harry will take to celebrate privately. Still, we can’t imagine the baby being born was the reason for Meghan missing Easter service with the family on Sunday — by all accounts, Ragland hadn’t even arrived yet, and we can’t imagine the proud mama missing Meghan’s first childbirth experience.
But anytime since Sunday after Ragland arrived? We wouldn’t rule it out. If the fever pitch status of the rumor mill is any indication, baby Sussex might actually be here (or, if not, super-duper close to being here). So, keep your eyes peeled, because royal baby watch is at DEFCON 1 status.