Congratulations are in order for Meghan Markle, 39, and Prince Harry, 36! The couple — who tied the knot in May 2018 — are expecting baby #2. “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother,” a statement issued to HollywoodLife read from a representative for The Duke and duch*ess of Sussex. “The Duke and duch*ess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,” the statement also read. The couple also released a stunning photo along with the announcement, taken by Misan Harriman. Meghan’s growing baby bump can be seen in the sweet black-and-white candid as she and Harry sit under a tree.
Meghan and Harry are already parents to adorable son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, 1, who they welcomed in May 2019! They confirmed they were pregnant the first time around via the Royal Family, including Harry’s brother Prince William, 38, and sister-in-law Kate Middleton, 38, who noted they were “very pleased” by the news via the Kensington Royal Twitter account.
Archie has become quite the star on social media, taking center stage in the couple’s Christmas card back in Dec. 2019. In the sweet black-and-white photo, taken by Meghan’s close pal and Morning Show starJanina Gavankar, Archie crawls right up to the camera with an inquisitive look on his face! He looked so much like his stunning mom in the snap, showing off his big brown eyes. The little boy has been growing up in front of our very eyes, and with his warmth and happy spirit radiating through his pics and videos.
The pregnancy news comes after Meghan and Harry’s whirlwind departure from royal duties in Jan. 2020 and some difficult personal loss. The couple spent the early part of 2019 in Victoria, British Columbia, in a stunning, picturesque mansion that was arranged by music producer David Foster, where Meghan also visited gorgeous Vancouver. After announcing that they intended to spend their time in both Canada and the United Kingdom, Harry and Meghan relocated to her native of Los Angeles, California in March 2020.
Since arriving in California, the couple have kept a fairly low profile, stepping out with protective face masks to volunteer for those in need, as well as on another Beverly Hills outing. She has also given glimpses of their whopping $14M Santa Barbara Mansion recently while chatting with clients from clothing charity Smart Works. Sadly, in November 2020, Meghan and Harry suffered a devastate loss.
Meghan opened up in an emotional personal essay about enduring a miscarriage. “I dropped to the floor,” she recalled. “[I] sensed that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” Meghan’s New York Times piece read.
“We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter — for all of us. In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing,” another excerpt from the article read. After such a devastating loss, we’re so happy for Meghan and Harry and wish them well on this next chapter in their lives.
Meghan Markle Pregnancy Clues You Missed
There were a few hints that Meghan could be expecting before the couple’s sweet Valentine’s Day announcement. TheSuitsalum wore a fairly heavy parka — the “Chateau” style from J.Crew to be exact — while out with Harry in Dec. 2020. The couple were spotted in the Beverly Hills area, which is about 90 minute from their Montecito area home. The coat was a heavy choice for temperatures in the mid-70s, but could have been a strategic move to cover a growing baby bump.
The couple also curiously chose to release a watercolor painting for their Dec. 2020 Christmas card versus a photo. In the sweet rendering, Harry and Meghan are seen in a casual moment at phone with son Archie, 1, and their dogs Guy and Pula outdoors in front of a playhouse. If Meghan wasn’t quite ready to announce her pregnancy at the holidays, going with an older image turned into a painting was one strategic way to avoid a new photo (which likely would have shown her bump). The painting was based on a photo snapped by Meghan’s mother Doria.
We’re thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, The duch*ess of Sussex, who also made a personal donation, helping dogs, cats and our community. 💜 From all of us at Mayhew, thank you and Merry Christmas. 🎄🐶🐱
Find out more! 👉 https://t.co/5o2RHLveRM pic.twitter.com/uBV19F6Odt— Mayhew 🐶🐱 (@themayhew) December 23, 2020
A third hint came around Oct. 2020, when the 39-year-old requested to postpone a court date pertaining to a media outlet publishing a personal letter to her father Thomas Marklein 2019. Meghan sued Associated Newspapers for misuse of private information, copyright infringement, and breach of the Data Protection Act, winning the court case on Feb. 11, 2021. At the time, it was unclear why Meghan postponed — however, her second pregnancy may have been a factor.
“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 dehumanizing practices,” she said in a statement after winning.“For these outlets, it’s a game. 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,” Meghan also said, adding, “We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from people’s pain. But for today, with this comprehensive win on both privacy and copyright, we have all won.”
Pains of Miscarriage
Meghan opened up about a devastating miscarriage she experienced in a personal essay published in July 2020. In the op-ed piece, published to the New York Times, Meghan was addressing mental health issues during the pandemic as she revealed her own sad news. “I dropped to the floor…[I] sensed that something was not right. I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she confessed in the essay, describing a trip to the hospital with “cold white walls.” She went on, “Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few.”
Meghan Markle’s First Pregnancy
Meghan and Harry announced they were expecting just six months after tying the knot! “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and duch*ess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The duch*ess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019,” a tweeted statement from Kensington Palace read in Oct. 2018.
The news came as the couple were on a tour of Australia, but rumors had been swirling over some curious outfit choices by Meghan just before — including loose navy coat style dress at Princess Eugenie’s wedding that same month. Meghan happily showed off her growing baby bump while in Australia, including in a loose blue-striped romper.
In Feb. 2019, she had a low key baby shower in New York City attended by several close female friends — including her BFF Jessica Mulroney, Serena Williams, designer Misha Nonoo, Janina Gavankar, Gayle King and more. Meghan, then a working Royal still making official appearances on behalf of The Queen, was photographed regularly through her pregnancy.
Her growing bump was visible during a state dinnerhosted by the President of Fiji in a full-length blue gown by designer Safiyaa in Oct. 2018 — growing more so at a Dec. 2018 appearance at the British Fashion Awards. The California native cradled her tummy in a gorgeous black gown by her wedding dress designer Clare Waight Keller as she presented the British Women’s Wear Designer of The Year Award. By Feb. 2019, the couple were on another Royal tour of Morocco where Meghan’s bump was once again on full display.
She gave birth to her son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019 at The Portland Hospital in London. At the time of his birth, the little boy weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces. “The duch*ess 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,” a statement shared to Instagram about the birth read that same day.
