Q&A: Everything we know about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s pregnancy reveal

Philanthropist and former actress Meghan Markle and Britain’s Prince Harry have announced they are expecting their second baby. Here’s what we know so far about Archie’s future little brother or sister.

The photo Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released with their pregnancy announcement.

When is the baby due?

We don’t yet know. An official statement on Valentine’s Day said: “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child.” The baby will be eighth in the line of succession to the British throne.

Their first pregnancy was announced after the first trimester. The couple seems to be further into the second pregnancy, and no doubt made the most of the privacy afforded them to enjoy this pregnancy while they lived at their Santa Barbara home and out of the public eye during the pandemic.

Why did they share their news on Valentine's Day?

Other than a day celebrating love being a touching symbol for such a statement, Prince Harry's own parents revealed their second pregnancy on February 13, 1984. The next day, Valentine's Day, it was front page news all over Britain. Of course, the baby born to them 37 years ago was Prince Harry.

Will they only have two children?

In a Q&A for Vogue in September 2019, for the edition guest-edited by his wife, Prince Harry, 36, said he and Ms Markle, 39, would only have two children. “Two, maximum!” he told primatologist Jane Goodall.

Meghan and Harry with their son Archie during a tour of Africa.

The couple has been trying to grow their family in recent months. Ms Markle suffered a miscarriage last July, and described "an almost unbearable grief" in a deeply personal article for the New York Times following their loss. Soon-to-be older brother Archie Mountbatten-Windsor will turn two in May.

What names are thought to be in the mix?

Bookies in the UK are already giving odds on certain names they think might be given to the new baby. Some think the name may start with the letter A after the couple called their first child Archie.

The names Alfie and Alexandra are the frontrunners so far, while other names favoured by punters include Charles or Charlie, Florence, Freddie, Arabella and Doria. Royal family names cropping up include Elizabeth, Philip, Albert and Diana.

Why did the couple announce their pregnancy?

The short answer: why not? They’re clearly excited about expanding their family and the news is a welcome reprieve from the grim atmosphere caused by the pandemic.

However, there has been much discussion on social media and in the tabloids about what is perceived by some to be hypocrisy in the young couple: they stepped down as senior members of the UK’s royal family last year and moved to Ms Markle’s native Southern California and they have been vocal about their right to privacy. They have brought publications to court, including Splash UK which photographed Ms Markle and their son without permission during a "private family outing" while staying in Canada, and in 2020 they announced that they would no longer cooperate with the Daily Mail, the Sun, the Mirror and the Express.

Importantly, their decision to announce the pregnancy is not undermining their own privacy. It was announced on their terms, rather than leaked to the press or uncovered by paparazzi.