A picture shows an official notice set up on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace, in London, on May 6, 2019, announcing the birth of a son to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.YUI MOK/AFP/Getty Images
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a healthy baby boy early Monday, a beaming Prince Harry announced to the world, declaring he’s “incredibly proud” of his wife.
The baby weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was born at 5:26 a.m. Harry said their son was a little bit overdue and that had given the royal couple more time to contemplate names.
The Duke of Sussex said he was ecstatic about the birth of their first child and promised that more details – such as the baby’s name – will be shared in the coming days. The couple said earlier they weren’t going to find out the baby’s sex in advance.
“This little thing is absolutely to die for,” Harry said. “I’m just over the moon.”
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Harry and the palace didn’t immediately provide details on whether the baby was born at a hospital or if it was a home birth. The royal couple had earlier said they wanted to keep details private.
The infant is seventh in line to the British throne and is the Queen’s eighth great-grandchild. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997.
The 34-year-old Harry, speaking before TV cameras on Monday afternoon in Windsor, said he was present for the birth.
“It’s been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined,” he said. “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension."
“We’re both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. It’s been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody,” he gushed.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was reportedly also with her daughter and said she is overjoyed, according to British media. Senior royals were informed of the birth, as was the family of Diana, before Harry went before the cameras.
The couple’s Instagram account said: “It’s a boy! Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to announce the birth of their child.”
This handout document released on May 6, 2019, on the Instagram account of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reads 'It's a Boy !'MARIE-LAURE MESSANA/AFP/Getty Images
Harry said he planned to make another announcement, likely in two days, “so everyone can see the baby.” It’s expected they will pose for a family picture at that point.
Crowds that had gathered in Windsor near the castle, one of the Queen’s favourite residences, reacted with joy to the news. Some said it would provide a welcome respite from the continuing political stalemate over Brexit.
British Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated the royal couple and wished them the best in a tweet.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on Twitter this afternoon that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should “Enjoy every minute of this happy time together as a new family of three.”
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer also sent best wishes to the new parents, wishing them “all the best on the birth of their baby boy.”
Canadian actor Patrick J. Adams tweeted well wishes to his former Suits co-star, Meghan. The Toronto native posted on Twitter: “Just heard that the world just got heavier by seven pounds and three ounces. Much love to him and his incredible parents.”
Mr. Adams added he “couldn’t be happier for Meghan and Harry as they begin this adventure.” He concluded the tweet with the hashtag “#playdatesoon.”
The former Meghan Markle was an American TV star before retiring from acting to marry Harry at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle a year ago.
The child will be eligible for dual British-U.S. citizenship if Meghan and Harry want to go through the application process.
The birth of Britain’s latest royal baby marks the completion of Harry’s transformation from a boy whose mother died when he was just 12 to a sometimes-troubled teen, a committed military man, a popular senior royal, a husband and now a proud father. He has long spoken of his desire to start a family.
He and his older brother, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, along with their wives, are seen by many in Britain as the new, fresh faces of a Royal Family that had become stodgy and aged. They are raising the next generation of royals amid a genuine groundswell of British public support for the monarchy.
Meghan, in particular, represents a change for the royals.
At 37, she is older than Harry, had a previous marriage that ended in divorce and has strong feminist views. As the daughter of a black mother and a white father, she identifies as biracial.
Meghan also achieved considerable success in her own right before agreeing to a blind date with Harry that changed both of their lives. She had an important role in Suits, pressed for increased women’s rights around the world and had a wide following even before she joined the world’s most famous Royal Family.
Harry and Meghan recently moved from central London to a secluded house known as Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle, about 40 kilometres west of London. The move is seen in part as reflecting a desire for privacy as they raise their first child.
It also separates Harry and Meghan from William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who had been living in the same compound at Kensington Palace in central London with their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – the new baby’s cousins.
With files from The Canadian Press