Since the announcement that she was expecting a baby in Sept. 2018, the eyes of the world have been on Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry. While millions wait for Baby Sussex, rumors continue to swirl about everything from the name and gender of the baby to whether or not Her Royal Highness will employ a doula.
Here’s what we know for sure: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child sometime between the end of April and beginning of May. Their child will be seventh in line to the throne, just behind Prince Harry.
Their child will likely not be a prince or princess, but rather will be styled as either “Lord of Dumbar” for a boy or “Lady” for a girl.
We also know that the birth of Baby Sussex will be private. Buckingham Palace reported “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”
This means the public will not get to see the Duke and Duchess leaving the hospital with their newest bundle of joy in their arms. It’s believed that the Palace will announce when Markle is in labor and when the child is born. There will also likely be a picture opportunity a few days after Baby Sussex arrives.
This announcement received mixed responses from the public. Some on social media argued that since the luxuries of royal life are paid for by tax dollars, the public has a right to be involved in all royal matters. Others praised the Duchess saying that it is her child and her choice.
The couple’s decision to not let the world be a part of this momentous event in their lives seems to break tradition. Fans of the royal family can recall the iconic images of Princess Diana leaving the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London after the birth of both her sons. Three decades later, Kate Middleton and husband Prince William could be seen on the same steps just hours after all three of their children arrived.
This begs the question: if Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge did this, why isn’t Markle? For one thing, hospital births are actually not royal tradition. Princess Diana was the first to give birth in a hospital in 1982. She was also the first to give birth while totally awake. Before that, every royal was born at home, and most mothers were drugged with a host of medications, including morphine or chloroform.
Markle is also known for defying royal protocol and favoring her own way of doing things. From her choices of clothing brands to the color of her nail polish, she seems to ignore many of the family’s traditions in favor of her own tastes. It’s fitting she would do the same with the birth of her child.
Markle is also known to believe in natural remedies for health care. She has long been interested in yoga, and before her royal title she detailed her yoga routine in one interview. Markle and Harry were also spotted outside an apothecary in London in early April that boasts famous clients such as Natalie Portman and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Kate Middleton also received negative feedback about her decision to let the world see her children mere hours after their births. In the book “Feminist don’t wear Pink (and other lies)” actress Keira Knightley criticized the Duchess for not displaying the realities of childbirth.
“She was out of hospital seven hours later with her face made up and high heels on… Seven hours after your fight with life and death, seven hours after your body breaks open, and bloody, screaming life comes out. Don’t show. Don’t tell,” Knightly said.
Perhaps Meghan wants to be spared from this ordeal. Maybe her child, being seventh in line to the throne, will have to endure the same media scrutiny as the three Cambridge children. Maybe she just wants to keep doing things her way.
Though no one knows for sure what the birth of Baby Sussex will look like, one thing is certain: the world is waiting with eager anticipation.