Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has given birth to a boy, her “over the moon” husband, Prince Harry, told the world on Monday in a low-key announcement intended to protect their privacy.
The prince said that mother and baby were “doing incredibly well,” as he gave a short statement to British television news outlets, without either in sight, in front of Windsor Castle’s horse stables.
“I am very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a little boy early this morning — a very healthy boy,” the prince said in the video statement.
Photo: AP
“As every father and parent would ever say, your baby is absolutely amazing. But this little thing is absolutely to die for. So I am just over the moon,” he said.
Buckingham Palace said the boy, seventh in line to the throne, was born at 5:26am, weighing 7 pounds and 3 ounces (3.26kg).
While Prince Harry and Meghan’s first baby gives the British royal family another injection of youth, the monarchy is likely to rest in very elderly hands for decades to come.
Queen Elizabeth II, who turned 93 last month, shows no sign of relaxing her solemn coronation vow of lifelong duty.
Her eldest son, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, is 70 and potentially still many years from the crown.
“We already have a very elderly monarch and she manages a punishing work schedule,” said Robert Hazell, a professor at the Constitution Unit at University College London.
“If she lives as long as her mother, we’re in for a succession of elderly monarchs,” he said.
The dowager queen Elizabeth lived to 101 and carried out public duties until just a few months before her death.
Charles is followed in the line of succession by his eldest son, Prince William, 36, and his eldest grandchild, Prince George, aged five, meaning there are four generations of current or future monarchs in the palace corridors.
Harry and Meghan’s baby boy is Queen Elizabeth’s eighth great-grandchild, so he will not be short of company in the palace playrooms.
A baby for Charles’ younger son adds to the royal family’s toddler squad led by George, followed by William’s other children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
It could conceivably be the end of the century before that generation reaches the top of the tree.
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