Entertainment
The new royal baby will be here before you know it and Baby Sussex's birth will be undoubtedly worldwide news. But this will be a different experience than what royal fans have grown accustomed to with the births of the Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children. In fact, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s royal baby will likely grow up differently than Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Princess Louis in a variety of ways.
The thing to keep in mind is that, as children of Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are numbers three, four and five in line for the throne, respectively. Prince Harry is now number six, according to The Telegraph, and the new baby will be number seven. That’s pretty far down the line of succession, so this baby will lead a decidedly different kind of life than their royal cousins.
The comparison that can most readily be made is to the way Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie grew up. They are the cousins of Prince William and Prince Harry, according to Hello! Magazine, and as further successors to the throne, they were not under the same pressures as the princes. This new baby will be in a similar situation, as they will be a cousin to the royal children who are in direct line to the throne. With all that said, here are a few ways fans might see that play out.
Baby Sussex Will Be Bi-National
As long as Markle keeps her U.S. citizenship, the royal baby will also be an American citizen, according to The New York Times. And one could assume that Markle and Prince Harry will want their baby to have some understanding of their mother’s heritage.
In fact, according to E! News, British publication The Times reported that the couple may decide to eschew a traditional British schooling in favor of a more American curriculum, which could be accomplished at a school not far from their new home at Frogmore Cottage.
Baby Sussex Likely Won't Be A Prince or Princess
While Prince George was automatically dubbed a prince at birth, according to Hello! Magazine, all the other children born to Prince William or Prince Harry have to have their titles granted to them. That’s because of a decree from King George V in 1917 that stated only the oldest son of the oldest son of the Prince of Wales gained a title, according to Town & Country.
Queen Elizabeth later made a proclamation that ultimately granted titles to Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis, according to Royal Historian, but it does not automatically extend to Prince Harry’s children. As such, his upcoming baby would be called a Lord or Lady, according to The Independent.
Could the Queen decide to grant a fancier title? It's possible, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Baby Sussex's Life Will Be More Relaxed
Laura Hill, a royal expert with OK! magazine, spoke with The Daily Express about like for Prince Harry and Markle's little one, and she explained they’ll likely be kept from the limelight much more than Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will be. That parallels somewhat to the upbringing of Prince William and Prince Harry, and their cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
As Hill explained to The Daily Express, “While Meghan and Harry no doubt understand there will be intense public interest in their son or daughter they won’t parade him or her out as a royal trophy and will instead keep their public appearances to an absolute minimum."
Baby Sussex Can Choose Their Own Career
While the older princes, like William and Harry, are “professional royals,” according to E! News, Baby Sussex will probably walk a very different path. And it’s likely they’ll even be able to choose their own profession when the time comes, as Tatler reported.
As Hill explained to The Daily Express in the same interview: “While their child will always be a senior member of the royal family and expected to attend big family events and represent them when required, they will have the freedom to go on to have a career of their own if they wish, just like Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have done."
Baby Sussex May Have A Unique Name
As is tradition, there are a lot of expectations surrounding the name of a royal baby. And, typically, it’s something classic that has a history in the family — George, Charlotte, and Louis certainly fit into those categories. But for Prince Harry and Markle's royal baby, there may be some room for personal expression.
As royal expert Myka Meier explained to The Sun, Prince Harry and Markle may choose something that reflects her American heritage or even one of the countries they love:
I think we will see them playing with a middle name. I don’t believe it will be one of Meghan’s family's names. But I do believe it could be a name with a significant meaning. Maybe something symbolic of their travels together. They both have a love of Africa, maybe it could be something there, something that has meaning.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Will Likely Raise a Feminist
Now, that’s not to say that Prince George, Prince Charlotte, or Prince Louis won’t be in favor of women’s rights or that they aren't being raised as such. But for Markle and Prince Harry, the effort feels a little more on-brand and outspoken with some of their own efforts.
For instance, Markle recently spoke at the International Women’s Panel at King’s College in London, according to People, and commented on a line she heard while watching a Netflix documentary on feminism. According to TIME, Markle said:
One of the things they said during pregnancy was "I feel the embryonic kicking of feminism." I loved that, so boy or girl, whatever it is, we hope that that's the case with our little bump.
The Duchess of Sussex has also commented on how her husband is a warrior in the fight for gender equality, according to The Telegraph.
For the many things we don’t yet know about the upcoming royal baby, we do know a few things. Whether boy or girl, Baby Sussex will be welcomed with love and joy by their very-extended family. And whether they ever make it to the throne, Baby Sussex will have a solid foundation to impact the world.
