The Duchess of Sussex has officially gone into labor with her first child. News of the royal baby's impending birth was confirmed by Buckingham Palace earlier today. Meghan went into labor this morning and Prince Harry is currently by her side.
At this point, it's still unclear exactly where Meghan will deliver the baby. In April, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared that they are keeping the birth plans private.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and around the world as they prepare to welcome their baby," reads the statement released by Buckingham Palace.
"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."
It is understood that they will not take pictures with the newborn immediate after the birth, but rather the family will pose for photographs at some point in the days to come.
Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting a baby in October of last year, to much excitement. From early on in their public relationship, the couple made it clear that they wanted children.
The couple even made reference to future offspring during their first joint interview with the BBC. The interviewer asked, "Children?" and Harry responded laugh: "Not currently no," he said, before adding, "one step at a time and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future."
Regardless of whether Meghan has a boy or a girl, the baby will be seventh in line to the throne, falling just after Prince Harry, and just before Prince Andrew. He or she will also be the Queen and Prince Philip's eighth great grandchild.
Caroline Hallemann is the Digital Director at Town & Country, where she covers culture, society, and entertainment, as well as the British royal family, among a variety of other topics. Prior to leading the digital team at T&C, she served as the brand's Senior News Editor and Digital News Director, and has previously held positions at Travel + Leisure, DailyCandy, and Parenting Magazine. Caroline is also currently writing a book about the Kennedy family and the British royals, and she lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and their son, Tommy. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @challemann and on TikTok at @carolinehallemann.
