Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex first royal baby is officially here.
The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to a boy “early in the morning” on Monday, May 6, according to the Sussex’s Instagram account.
The couple released a statement on Monday morning Eastern time announcing the birth of royal baby Sussex.
“The Duchess and baby are both healthy and well, and the couple thank members of the public for their shared excitement and support during this very special time in their lives. More details will be shared in the forthcoming days,” the Sussex Royal Instagram caption says.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have yet to release their new son’s name. But, unlike Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — the children of William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge — Harry and Meghan’s baby boy is not a prince. Unless Queen Elizabeth issues a Letters Patent declaring otherwise, Harry and Meghan’s children may very well be earls and ladies.
Still, the baby’s name is likely to be traditional, royal experts say. The new royal baby is seventh in line to the throne, which gives the Duke and Duchess some more leeway in the naming process, but they’re not going to want to stray too far from royal tradition. “I think [Markle] understands and respects the traditional institution that she’s married into,” Katie Nicholl, a royal correspondent for Vanity Fair and the author of Harry and Meghan: Life, Loss, and Love, told TIME in a previous interview.
Though we don’t yet know where Meghan chose to give birth, it’s likely she didn’t give birth in the same hospital as the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Diana in Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital. But that’s not so surprising, considering other royals have been born in different hospital before — Sophie, the Countess of Wessex had her two children at Frimley Hospital and Sarah Ferguson gave birth to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at another hospital in London.
At the end of the day, it’s not the hospital that matters, but the wishes of the royal parents, according to royal expert and CNN commentator Victoria Arbiter. “We have to respect any new mother’s choices,” she told TIME.
Kensington Palace first announced that Markle was pregnant with the couple’s first child on Oct. 15, nearly five months after their royal wedding at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” the palace said in a statement.
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. pic.twitter.com/Ut9C0RagLk
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 15, 2018
Until the couple announces the name of the royal baby, royal watchers (and the world) are anxiously awaiting (and betting) the answer. But, as Arbiter told TIME previously, the public has to give them privacy. “Harry and Meghan are very keen to maintain the privacy of their child and also to sort of set the boundaries on what is acceptable and what’s not.”
One such aspect of the couple’s privacy was their choice to not take a typical post-birth photo, instead choosing to keep the moment for themselves. According to People, pictures of Meghan, Harry and the royal baby are expected soon on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
