LONDON — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are the proud parents of a new baby boy.
The baby, who has not yet been named, is seventh in line for the British throne and is Queen Elizabeth II’s eighth great-grandchild.
It is the first child for Harry and Meghan, who married a year ago. Harry spoke before cameras on Monday afternoon.
The 34-year-old prince is the son of Prince Charles — next in line for the throne — and Princess Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997.
Harry has long spoken of his desire to start a family.
Proud new father Prince Harry is BURSTING
— Hannah Furness (@Hannah_Furness) May 6, 2019
Palace officials didn’t immediately say where Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is giving birth. She was formerly known as Meghan Markle and was a TV star before retiring from acting to marry Harry.
Officials said the prince was by Meghan’s side. No other details were released.
The couple has said they didn’t find out the baby’s sex in advance.
The infant will be seventh in line to the British throne and Queen Elizabeth II’s eighth great-grandchild. Harry is the younger son of Prince Charles, the next in line to the throne, and the late Princess Diana, 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, Harry’s late mother, before he 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.”
Harry said he planned to make another announcement, probably in two days’ time, “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 that is one of the queen’s favorite residences reacted with joy to the welcome news that the baby had been born. Some said it would provide a welcome respite from the continuing political stalemate over Brexit.
Londoners Pam and Keith Jonson said the news will provide a lift to peoples’ spirits.
“You can tell by people around,” Pam Jonson said. “Lifts everybody a bit. Definitely. With all that’s been going recently. It’s nice uplift actually.”
Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated the royal couple and wished them the best in a tweet.
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 to a proud father. He has long spoken of his desire to start a family.
He and his older brother, Prince William, 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 says she identifies as biracial.
Harry and Meghan married at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle a year ago this month. In April, they moved from a house on the London grounds of Kensington Palace to Frogmore Cottage, which is near Windsor Castle, where they held their gala, VIP-studded wedding reception.
Journalists and well-wishers have camped out for days in Windsor, about 22 miles west of London, awaiting the baby’s arrival. Kensington Palace has said the new parents don’t plan to pose for a photograph or appear in public with their baby for several days so they can celebrate privately.
Meghan, a California native, had a starring role on the American TV series “Suits.” She 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 says she identifies as biracial.
Harry, who has said he wanted to protect his wife from intrusive media coverage, and Meghan have said they plan to keep many of the details of the birth private.
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